Questions to ask
The questions families wish they had asked.
Every question from the Tell Me Your Story journals. Pick one, ask it this week, and write down the answer.
Who are you asking?
Theme
100 questions
Childhood
- What were your parents like? Describe each of them in a few words.Grandpa · Grandma
- What is the very first thing you can remember?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did the house you grew up in look, sound and smell like?Grandpa · Grandma
- Did you have brothers or sisters? What were they like as children?Grandpa · Grandma
- What games did you play, and who did you play them with?Grandpa · Grandma
- When and where were you born? What were you told about the day you arrived?Grandma
- What was a normal day like for your family when you were a little girl?Grandma
- What did your mother cook that you still remember the taste of?Grandma
- Were you a good girl, a clever girl or a mischievous one? Tell me about a time.Grandma
- Which grown-up did you look up to most as a child, and why?Grandma
School days
- What was your school like? How did you get there each morning?Grandpa · Grandma
- Which subject did you love, and which one did you dread?Grandpa · Grandma
- Tell me about a teacher you still remember.Grandpa · Grandma
- Who was your best friend at school? What did you get up to together?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did you do in the summer holidays?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is one thing you learned at school that you still use today?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did you dream of becoming when you grew up?Grandma
- What songs, films or radio shows did you love as a girl?Grandma
- What did girls your age wear, and what did you wish you could wear?Grandma
Growing up
- What was the world like when you were a teenager?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did you and your friends do for fun on a weekend?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was your first job, and how much did it pay?Grandpa · Grandma
- Where was the first place you travelled far from home?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did your parents worry about most when you were young?Grandpa · Grandma
- If you could go back and tell your young self one thing, what would it be?Grandpa · Grandma
- What did you buy with your very first wages?Grandma
- What was the bravest or most daring thing you did as a young woman?Grandma
- What did your clothes and hair look like back then? Did you have a favourite outfit?Grandma
- What did you think your life would look like at forty?Grandma
Work and purpose
- What was the hardest day of work you ever had?Grandpa · Grandma
- Who taught you the most about working hard?Grandpa · Grandma
- What skill are you proudest of having learned?Grandpa · Grandma
- What would you tell me about choosing the work I do?Grandpa · Grandma
- What kinds of work have you done in your life, inside and outside the home?Grandma
- Which work made you proudest, and why?Grandma
- Was there something you wanted to do but never had the chance to?Grandma
- How did you manage when money was tight?Grandma
- What did people come to you for help with?Grandma
- How did the world treat working women when you were young?Grandma
Love
- What was your first date like?Grandpa · Grandma
- Where was your first home together? What was in it?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was the hardest time you went through together, and how did you get through it?Grandpa · Grandma
- What makes a marriage last, in your experience?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is your favourite memory of the two of you?Grandpa · Grandma
- How did you meet Grandpa? What did you notice first?Grandma
- When did you know he was the one?Grandma · Mom
- How did he propose, or how did you decide to spend your lives together?Grandma
- Tell me about your wedding day. What did you wear?Grandma
- What is a small, everyday thing you love about him?Grandma
Family
- What do you remember about the day your first child was born?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was my parent like as a baby and a little child?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was the funniest thing one of your children ever said or did?Grandpa · Grandma
- What were holidays and birthdays like in your house?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is a moment with your children you will never forget?Grandpa · Grandma
- What are you proudest of about your children?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you remember about the first time you held me?Grandpa · Grandma
- What was I like as a baby and a little child?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is the funniest thing I ever said or did?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you love doing with your grandchildren?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you hope I remember about you?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you see in me that reminds you of yourself, or of someone in our family?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is your favourite memory with me so far?Grandpa · Grandma
- What would you like us to do together that we haven't done yet?Grandpa · Grandma
- How did you feel when you found out you would be a mother?Grandma
- What lullabies or stories did you give your children at bedtime?Grandma
- What was the hardest part of being a mother?Grandma
- What did you do the same as your own mother, and what did you do differently?Grandma · Mom
- How did you feel when you heard you were going to be a grandma?Grandma
- How is being a grandma different from being a mother?Grandma
Home and everyday life
- What does a perfect Sunday look like to you?Grandpa · Grandma
- Which song always takes you back to a certain time? Where does it take you?Grandpa · Grandma
- What hobbies have you loved over the years?Grandpa · Grandma
- Tell me about a pet you have had.Grandpa · Grandma
- What is your favourite season, and why?Grandpa · Grandma
- Where is your favourite place in the world?Grandpa · Grandma
- What little thing always makes you smile?Grandpa · Grandma · Mom
- What has changed most in the world during your lifetime?Grandpa · Grandma
- Which recipe of yours should never be lost? Write it here.Grandma
- What is something you can make with your hands?Grandma
Life lessons
- What is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you know now that you wish you had known at twenty?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is something you changed your mind about as you got older?Grandpa · Grandma
- What should a person never do, whatever happens?Grandpa · Grandma
- How do you get through the hard days?Grandpa · Grandma · Mom
- What is worth worrying about, and what isn't?Grandpa · Grandma · Mom
- What are you most grateful for?Grandpa · Grandma · Dad · Mom
- Is there anything you regret, or would do differently?Grandpa · Grandma
- What has made your life a happy one?Grandpa · Grandma
- What does it mean to be a good person?Grandma · Mom
For the next generation
- What do you wish for me when I grow up?Grandpa · Grandma
- What do you hope I will always remember about our family?Grandpa · Grandma
- What should I know about love when I'm older?Grandpa · Grandma
- What should I do when I feel afraid?Grandpa · Grandma
- What should I do when someone treats me unkindly?Grandpa · Grandma
- Which family story do you want me to pass on to my own children?Grandpa · Grandma
- What is one thing you want me to promise you?Grandpa · Grandma
- How do you want to be remembered?Grandpa · Grandma
- What would you like to say to me that you've never said out loud?Grandpa · Grandma
- What should I know about friendship?Grandma