not this cute anymore!After our first interview, I knew it was important for me interview my only living grandparent (my sweet Grandma June) as well as to write my own autobiography. This gives me a chance to ask my own parents questions about myself as a child. I really hope to inspire Aaron to answer the questions too, although he's not much of a journal or documenter. Aaron's mom had a great idea of the boys answering the questions themselves. There are a lot of things they haven't experienced yet, but I love their perspectives as they are, right now. Simon and Roma aren't there yet, but they will be soon. We're totally catching the family history bug and we'll be so excited to publish these books after our project is finished. I even got my single aunts on board and have them walking down memory lane. Here are a list of the questions. You can copy and paste into a word document or into a blurb book (or however you want to print it!)
These questions were inspired from the list we were given at church and adapted/added to from others we found on the internet, etc. I tried to compile them chronologically, but some of them are random and out of place. Hope you can get some use out of our hard work!
BIRTH
When
and where were you born?
...
Did your parents tell you any interesting stories regarding your birth?
…
Were there other children
already in the family?
...
How did your parents choose your name?
...
Did you have any nicknames growing up?
…
What
are some of your earliest memories?
…
Who
was the most influential person to you as a child?
....
What
was your personality like? How would you
describe your personality now? Is it the
same or different than when you were a child?
HOME LIFE
What
were your childhood home and neighborhood like?
…
Did
you have any pets as a child? What kind?
…
What
kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings? What are some of your special memories of
growing up together?
…
What
were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of
them?
…
Do
you know anything about your parents when they were children?
…
What
kind of job did your father have? What do you remember about it?
…
Did
your mother work outside of the home?
…
What
was your favorite dinner that your mother made? What was the worst?
…
Describe
a typical weekday as a child. Were
Saturdays the same?
…
How
did you spend your Sundays as a child? Did you attend church? What was your
church like? Did you have to travel far to get there?
…
Did
you ever run away as a child, even for a few hours? Did you ever plan to?
…
Did you and/or your family have a very hard trial
that you went through and then recovered from?
…
What
were your grandparents like? Do you have any special memories of them?
…
Do
you remember any stories that they told you about themselves or your parents?
…
Did
you grow up near your extended family? Did you get to spend time together?
…
What
were you most afraid of as a child?
…
What
was the most exciting trip you've ever taken?
…
ELEMENTARY
Where
did you go to school?
…
How
far was it to your school? Did you have to walk? Was it uphill both ways?
…
Did
you have any memorable teachers?
…
What
were your favorite subjects?
…
Did
you ever get sent home from school? Did you ever get sent to the principal?
…
How
would you describe yourself as a student, both socially and academically?
…
Did
you play an instrument? Were you in a band or an orchestra? Did you sing?
…
Were
you interested in sports?
…
Who
was your best friend? Are you still in touch with them?
…
HOLIDAYS AND SEASONS
What
is your favorite season? Why?
…
What
were your favorite winter activities? What did you do in the summertime?
…
How
did you celebrate birthdays as a child?
…
How
did you celebrate Thanksgiving? Where did you go? What was your favorite dish?
…
What
was your most memorable Christmas? How did your family celebrate?
…
What
was your favorite holiday growing up? Why? Has it changed?
…
What
is the lowest price you remember stamps costing? What did other things cost?
…
What
kind of chores did you do around the house? What were your favorite or least
favorite chores?
…
What
was your favorite practical joke as a child? Did you ever get in trouble for
playing jokes?
…
Did
you ever do anything rebellious?
…
FAVORITES
Did
you have a favorite radio program or television show?
…
What
is the best book ever written? How many times have you read it?
…
Who
was your favorite movie actor/actress? What is your favorite movie?
…
In
your opinion, what was the best invention for your lifetime?
…
What
was the best letter that you ever received? What was the best letter you ever
sent?
…
What
is a special talent you have? Fixing things? Sewing? Handiwork? Green thumb?
When did you realize that you loved it and how did you learn?
…
What
is one thing that you couldn't do, no matter how hard you tried?
…
TEEN
What
sort of extracurricular activities did you participate in as a teen?
…
What
would people you know find surprising about you as a teen?
…
What
was your hairstyle as a teenager? What kind of clothes did you wear? Were you
always in style?
…
HIGH SCHOOL
What
are your favorite memories from high school?
…
Did you get good grades?
…
Do you still keep in touch with your friends from high school?
…
Have
you attended any of your reunions?
…
Do
you have a high school teacher that was significant in your life?
…
What
was your first job, and what did you get paid?
…
What
was your first job?
…
What
was your best job?
…
What
was your worst job?
…
COLLEGE
Did
you attend college? If so, which one? If not, why?
…
What
are your most memorable college moments?
…
Who
was your most memorable roommate?
…
Why
did you decide to attend college?
…
What
subject(s) did you study and why?
…
Did
you get a degree? In what?
…
If
you could do it again, would you take a different academic path, or are you
satisfied with the route you followed?
…
What
on-campus activities did you participate in?
…
In
addition to being paid money, how else has your career created value in your
life?
…
Who
was the biggest influence in your career?
…
What
would be your ideal job?
…
LOVE
AND MARRIAGE
Who
was your first boyfriend/girlfriend? What did you do for dates?
…
Who
was your first love?
…
Have
you had your heart broken?
…
Have
you broken any hearts?
…
How
did you and your spouse first meet?
…
Do
you believe in love at first sight?
…
How
long have you been married?
…
How
did you meet?
…
WEDDING
Describe
your wedding day.
…
Where
did you get married? Why?
…
Who
came?
…
Did
you have a honeymoon?
…
Do
you and your spouse have a special song? What is the story behind it?
…
MEETING THE IN-LAWS
What
was your first impression after meeting your in-laws?
…
How
were they different than the family you were raised in?
…
What
traditions did you carry on from them that didn’t come from your own childhood?
…
What
have you learned most about the family your spouse was raised in?
…
MARRIED LIFE
What
was the first house that you lived in together like? How big was it?
…
What
was your first car? What was the car that you really wanted?
…
How
long before you had children?
…
How
long have you been married?
…
What
would you tell your newled-self now that you’ve been married for so long?
…
FAMILY
What
does the word “family” mean to you?
…
Briefly
describe your children. What age and gender are they?
…
What
is your goal as a parent?
…
How
would your children describe you as a parent?
…
How
do you describe yourself as a parent?
…
In
what ways have your parents influenced you the most?
…
Do
you wish you had been raised differently? How so?
…
What
is your relationship with your parents like today?
…
Who
are you closest to in your family?
…
Who
do you admire most in your family and why?
…
Have
you lost any family members to death?
…
If
so, what was your relationship to them and how did their death affect you/your
family?
…
What
was the most special way you’ve shown someone that you loved them?
…
What
was the most special way you’ve been shown you’re loved?
…
What
is the most important lesson you've learned from life so far?
…
POLITICS
What
do you consider to be the most significant political event that has occurred
during your life?
…
Which
political figure do you most admire?
…
Other
than the present, which historical era would you like to have lived in?
…
What
do you consider to be the most important war fought during your lifetime?
In all of history?
…
Have
you ever fought for a political cause?
…
What
would you like to see change in the current political/social atmosphere?
…
If
you could meet any historical figure, of the past or present, who would it be
and why?
…
HISTORICAL
MEMORIES
Where
were you and how did you react to…
·
President
Kennedy’s assassination?
…
·
landing
on the moon?
…
·
the
fall of the Berlin Wall? …
·
the
explosion of the Challenger? …
·
Sept.11?
…
HAPPINESS
What
is your definition of “happiness”?
…
What
is your most memorable travel experience?
…
What
is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?
…
What
is your happiest memory?
…
What
accomplishment are you most proud of?
…
How
do you think people will remember you?
…
Who
is your biggest fan?
…
Whose
biggest fan are you?
…
What
do you like to do in your spare time?
…
What
is your most embarrassing moment?
…
If
you could possess one super-human power, what would it be?
…
What
is your greatest fear?
…
What
is your greatest hope?
…
What
do you think happens after death?
…
What
are the main lessons you’ve learned in life?
…
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