Questions to Ask Your Parents

1. 1.Tell me about the day you were born. What was happening in the world at the time? What have you been told about that day — the weather, the drive home, the drinks after?
2. 2.Describe a regular Saturday morning when you were ten. What was happening in the house? Who was doing what?
3. 3.When you were six years old, what would excite you? What got you dreaming?
4. 4.Tell me about your earliest memory. How old were you? What do you remember seeing, thinking, feeling?
5. 5.Describe your first home. How long were you there?
6. 6.Using your five senses, talk to me about your childhood home. What did it smell like? Sound like? Feel like?
7. 7.Describe a family meal from your childhood. What did it taste like?
8. 8.Talk to me about the sounds at home. Music playing, neighbours fighting, trains passing, silence.
9. 9.Tell me what scared you as a kid.
10. 10.Describe what you spent hours doing that adults thought was a waste of time.
11. 11.How would your parents describe you as a young child?
12. 12.How would your primary school teacher describe you?
13. 13.Tell me about a time you remember getting told off.
14. 14.Describe your family traditions.
15. 15.Talk to me about any special family holidays or adventures.
16. 16.What do you miss from your childhood?
17. 17.Tell me about what your parents argued about.
18. 18.Describe a rule in your house that you didn't realise was weird until later.
19. 19.Tell me about the first person outside your family who really saw you.
20. 20.What's the oldest photo you remember being taken in? Where were you?

21. 21.Describe how you were as a teenager. Who were you?
22. 22.Tell me about the mischief you got up to.
23. 23.Talk to me about your fashion and hairstyle back then.
24. 24.Describe what a Saturday night looked like when you were 15-18.
25. 25.Tell me about the music you were listening to at the time.
26. 26.Were you playing music, sport, making art? Talk to me about your hobbies.
27. 27.Tell me something you lied to your parents about.
28. 28.What were you certain about at 17 that you'd laugh at now?
29. 29.Describe some special times or holidays you had as a teenager.
30. 30.Tell me about a random adventure or anecdote that's stuck with you.
31. 31.Talk to me about your first culture shock. Where were you? What was the sensation?
32. 32.Describe a place you went back to that felt completely different the second time.

Deeper layer

33. 33.How would you describe yourself now?
34. 34.How would your partner, oldest friend, or children describe you?
35. 35.Tell me about your big loves and pet peeves.
36. 36.Talk to me about what you think of food, culture, society, politics.
37. 37.What makes you angry, cry, laugh?
38. 38.Tell me what's invisible about you — what don't people see at first glance?
39. 39.Describe a strong opinion you hold that most people don't share.
40. 40.When do you feel most yourself?
41. 41.What's a moment you felt truly seen by someone?

42. 42.Tell me what you did after school and why.
43. 43.Describe the other options you considered.
44. 44.Talk to me about whether further education was encouraged in your family.
45. 45.Was there ever a different path you wished you'd taken?
46. 46.Tell me about your first jobs. Why did you choose them?
47. 47.Describe what you thought about working back then.
48. 48.How did you balance responsibility with fun?
49. 49.Talk to me about how your career started to take shape.
50. 50.Tell me what weighed on your mind most during those years.
51. 51.Describe what made you happiest.
52. 52.Talk to me about where life took you next.
53. 53.Tell me what drove your life choices.
54. 54.Describe what relationships were fostered or forgotten over this time.
55. 55.Were there moments when you felt lost or uncertain? Tell me about them.
56. 56.Describe what a “good day” looked like for you back then.
57. 57.Tell me about a decision you made that surprised people.

58. 58.Tell me the story of how you met the other parent of your children.
59. 59.Who made the first move?
60. 60.Describe what was happening around you in that moment — music, food, people.
61. 61.Tell me what the first kiss was like.
62. 62.What detail do you know, and what do you want to know about that time?
63. 63.Describe what dating looked like for you.
64. 64.Talk to me about how your families reacted to the relationship.

Deeper connections

65. 65.Tell me about someone who taught you something your parents couldn't.
66. 66.Describe a fight you regret. And one you don't.
67. 67.When did you first feel like an adult? Tell me about it.
68. 68.Talk to me about a small moment that changed everything.
69. 69.Tell me something you got wrong for years before someone corrected you.
70. 70.Describe something that was ordinary then but is impossible to explain to young people now.
71. 71.Tell me about a compliment you've never forgotten.
72. 72.When did you feel most proud of yourself?
73. 73.What would your 10-year-old self think of your life now?
74. 74.Talk to me about a person who changed how you see the world.

75. 75.Did you always want to be a parent, or equally never? Tell me.
76. 76.Describe what you remember about your children being born.
77. 77.Tell me how you felt when each of your children was born.
78. 78.Talk to me about the difficult times of parenting and the big moments of joy.
79. 79.How did you balance responsibility with fun as a parent?
80. 80.What do you think about being a parent of a 20-30-40 year old vs. a young child or teen?
81. 81.Describe how parenting changes across decades.
82. 82.Tell me about some of your proudest moments as a parent.
83. 83.What's something you did differently as a parent that your parents didn't do?

Career & legacy

84. 84.How do you look back on your career?
85. 85.Talk to me about how much your career defined your identity.
86. 86.What other job did you always fancy?
87. 87.Describe how you found retirement. What changed besides not working for money?
88. 88.If you're a grandparent, tell me what that's like.
89. 89.What's a piece of work you did that you're still proud of?

90. 90.Tell me about the decisions in your life that have had the most impact.
91. 91.Talk to me about some of the defining moments of your life.
92. 92.Describe some of the challenges you've had to deal with. How did those experiences change you?
93. 93.If you could take a different choice at one stage of your life (a sliding doors moment), what would it be and why?
94. 94.Tell me about a time you failed at something important. What happened?
95. 95.Describe a moment when you had to choose between two people or paths you loved.

96. 96.Are there big ideas — from people, writers, movies, books, lessons — that have shaped you? Tell me about them.
97. 97.When you were young, what did you want to do with your life? Did you have dreams? How much did that materialise, and why?
98. 98.How do you think about regrets? Do you have any? Tell me.
99. 99.If you could live any part of your life over again, would you? Why or why not?
100. 100.Tell me about something you once worried about that now seems unimportant.
101. 101.How did you balance work and family life? How might you do it differently if you had another chance?
102. 102.What's something you've learned about yourself that took you by surprise?

103. 103.Tell me about the best piece of advice you've ever received. And why?
104. 104.What advice would you give about love and relationships? What have you learnt along the way?
105. 105.What makes a good marriage, in your view?
106. 106.If you could do one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be?
107. 107.What do you want to be remembered for?