40 Questions to Ask Your Parents
Some of the best stories in your family have never actually been said out loud - not yet, anyway.
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Your parents have lived through a hundred stories you have never heard. These questions turn an ordinary dinner or car ride into something you will both remember.
Their childhood & growing up
- What was your childhood home like? Can you walk me through it room by room?
- Who was your best friend growing up, and are you still in touch with them?
- What was your favorite way to spend a summer afternoon as a kid?
- Which subject did you love in school, and which one did you dread?
- What is the naughtiest thing you ever did as a child and got away with?
- What did you want to be when you grew up, and why did that change or stick?
- What was a rule in your childhood home that you swore you would never repeat?
- What is your very first memory, and how old do you think you were?
- What chores were you responsible for as a kid, and which one did you hate most?
- What toy or game did you love most growing up, and whatever happened to it?
Love & family history
- How did you and Mom (or Dad) actually meet for the first time?
- What was your first impression of each other, honestly?
- When did you know this was the person you wanted to spend your life with?
- What was our wedding day, or the day you became parents, really like?
- What is the story behind our family name or a tradition we still keep?
- What do you remember most clearly about the day I was born?
- What is something about your parents or grandparents you wish I understood better?
- What was the hardest year your family ever went through, and how did you get through it?
- What family recipe or tradition do you hope never disappears after you are gone?
- What has surprised you most about being a parent, even after all these years?
Lessons & advice
- What is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?
- What do you wish someone had told you when you were my age?
- What mistake taught you the most important lesson of your life?
- What does success actually mean to you now, compared to when you were young?
- If you could raise me again, what is one thing you would do differently?
- What is the most important thing money ever taught you?
- How did you know it was time to change careers, move, or take a big risk?
- What do you think is the real secret to a marriage or partnership that lasts?
- What is a piece of advice you never followed but wish you had?
- What do you hope I remember most about how you raised me?
Just for fun
- What is the most embarrassing outfit or haircut you ever had?
- What song instantly takes you right back to your teenage years?
- What trend from your generation do you wish would come back already?
- If you could relive one totally ordinary day from your past, which one would it be?
- What is the silliest argument you and your partner ever had?
- What is something I did as a baby or toddler that still makes you laugh?
- What movie or show could you watch a hundred times and never get sick of?
- Did you have a nickname growing up, and where did it actually come from?
- If you were a teenager today, what do you think you would actually be like?
- What is something you are secretly proud of that you never really talk about?
Frequently asked questions
Why should I ask my parents these questions?
These questions help you see your parents as full people, not just as Mom or Dad. You will likely hear stories about their childhood, their choices, and their hopes that you have never heard before, even if you have known them your entire life.
Are these questions good for recording their story?
Yes. Many of these questions are built to pull out real memories, names, dates, and small details that are easy to lose over time. Recording the conversation on your phone, or jotting down the answers afterward, turns this simple list into a keepsake oral history.
What is a good way to use these during a holiday or family dinner?
Pick two or three questions ahead of time and bring them up naturally between courses, instead of turning it into an interview. The childhood and fun sections work especially well at the table, since they usually lead to laughter and more stories from everyone else listening in.