Discussing family interview questions with your loved ones is a great way to learn about your ancestors.
My journey of being interested in genealogy began long before I even knew what that word was. or what genealogy meant.
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It wasn’t until I was about 22 when I realized it was an entire activity/ hobby or even career for some.
| Related Article: What is Genealogy?
Family history was engrained in my life from an early age.
Some of my favorite memories were when my family had slideshow nights.
My grandfather would take out the projector, dim the lights, and we would all sit and watch as old slide photos lite up the screen.
This is where my love for family history began.
The simple, fun process of learning about the ancestors that came before me and my family.
How Do You Interview Someone for Family History?
So conducting family interview questions can be a fun and exciting process to learn all about your ancestors.
First of all, let’s take away the word ‘interview.’ That sounds so intimidating and official.
Think of it more as a casual conversation getting to know someone.
Saving the Story
I definitely recommend having a notebook and recording device to capture all of the details. (Maybe even 2 types of recorders, for back up)
Use the notebook to write down notations and questions you think of in the moment. And let the recorders capture the stories.
You can go back and transcribe it at a later date.
| Related Article: Start a Family Tree
Pay Attention
Be an engaged, attentive listener.
Try to never interrupt the speaker until it is appropriate to do so, and then go ahead with asking the next question.
By interjecting you run the risk of sidetracking their thought process and losing a memory that could have been saved.
Prepare Interview Questions
Try to ask mostly open ended questions.
This will help to keep the conversation flowing to new topics.
If you can, give your loved one the questions you plan to ask, or the general talking points, in advance.
Maybe ask questions in chronological order. Starting with early childhood, their teen years, young adult, and adult years.
This will give them the opportunity to prepare and not feel caught off guard by something you bring up.
Side Note Tip
This is an important sidenote. If there is any topic discussed that they do not want recorded in any way, please be courteous and respect their wishes.
We never want to put someone in an uncomfortable situation.
They may be okay talking about it with you directly, but do not want it “on record.”
And who knows, they may decide to share it more openly at another time when they are ready.
Doing family history research can at times, uncover not so pleasant things. So also be prepared for that possibility.
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Family Question Ideas
Here are just a few starting points for beginning the family conversation:
- What were your parent’s names and what were they like?
- What are some of your favorite memories with your parents?
- Where are places you traveled to and things you did there?
- What are important lessons you learned from your parents?
- Tell me about your siblings. Were you close to them or have similar interests?
- What kinds of challenges have you faced?
- What was going to school like? What was your favorite subject?
- Share with me about your friends.
- Did you have any pets? What were they?
- Did you go to college? Where to?
- What was your first job? What were some other occupations you had?
- How did you meet your wife/husband?
- Tell me about your children.
- What did you learn when you became a parent?
- Where were some places you lived? What was it like, which was your favorite?
- What were some of your dreams and aspirations? Did you achieve them? Are you still working towards them?
I hope these talking prompts can help you dive in to your first family questions interview. Just remember to enjoy, have an open mind, and embrace learning more about your family heritage!
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Great interview techniques. I love the idea of pursuing your family tree this way!
Thanks! It all starts with just a few questions! Thanks so much for reading!
So glad I came across this post! I’ve been planning on interviewing my grandfather for a family documentary and these questions are great. Thank you!
That’s so wonderful! Best of luck with the documentary! Thanks for reading!
This is such a great idea! I’ve never researched family history personally; however one of my relatives on my dad side has and brought up some interesting possible relations! These question could very well help us get deeper! Thanks so much for sharing!
That’s awesome! It is so much fun uncovering new family stories and even relatives! Thanks for reading!
These are great questions
Thanks for reading!
This is such a great post! I had my mom do this book that once a week it sent her a question about her life and family. But dad wasn’t really into that idea so I may start off with these questions. Thanks for the prompts!
oh yes, I’ve heard of that program! It’s a great idea! Thanks for reading!
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading!
Very cool article! My grandmother has been a genealogy junkie since before I was born. The things she has unearthed about our family are incredible! But while tracing our ancestry is really interesting, I’m even more interested in the stories and journeys of my loved ones. My grandparents have lived such incredible lives that I would love to capture and record the events that make their stories unique and special. Thank you for sharing such great tips for interviewing family members. And the question prompts are really helpful, too!
That’s so wonderful! It is great to hear of other families enjoying genealogy. Thanks so much for reading!
Thank you for sharing this article the list of questions was great, I will keep them in mind when I talk to family about their family history.
Great idea! Thanks for reading!
What a great post on gathering information and using questions to solicit family history.
Thanks for reading!
For my senior year in high school, we had to complete a project “Senior Memory Book.” It was this capstone project that sparked my interest in genealogy. This took me down memory lane. Wish I had your question prompts at that time.
That sounds like a fun project! Thanks for reading!
This is so important. So many memories are lost and so many people haven’t been given the opportunity to share. I love that you added about being respectful of their wishes of sharing with others.
Very true, conversations can bring forward so many memories! Thanks for reading!
Nice post, I’ve been doing genealogy research on my parents since 1985. Very interesting research especially when you go way back in time. During the journey I loved to read the old time newspaper clippings.
Remember to “Grasp Life in the Moment”
That’s great to hear! Yes! I love using Newspapers.com to read old clippings. Thanks for reading!
This is such a great post! I had my mom do this book that once a week it sent her a question about her life and family. But dad wasn’t really into that idea so I may start off with these questions. Thanks for the prompts!
Love those books, great idea! Thanks for reading!
I always loved listening to my grandmother’s stories, but unfortunately I never got to write them down or record them. These are all awesome ideas and tips. Love it 🙂
That’s so sweet to hear! Thank you for sharing and for reading my article!