Interview Questions You Need to Ask Your Grandparents
Interviewing your grandparents can be a great way to see history through a different lens, save your favorite family stories, and to help them feel loved. When you interview a grandparent, you’re saying, “I value you. I hear you. I cherish you. I will make sure your legacy lasts.” In fact, by sharing their life story, your grandparents can experience improved mental health and overall well-being.
Check out some great insights on interviewing your grandparents!
However, approaching your grandparents for a sit-down interview can be intimidating! They may be nervous around camera or uncomfortable being the center of attention. Not to mention, if you are interviewing them, you need to decide what to ask! In this article, you’ll find several areas you can interview your grandparents about and suggestions for questions to ask!
Ask them about their background.
When you first meet someone, it’s customary to ask where they’re from, what they do, and so on. However, when you’ve known someone since you were a baby, these types of things can slip through the cracks! When you’re interviewing your grandparents, be sure to ask them about
When they were born
Where they grew up
Who their parents were
How many siblings they had
What their house was like
Asking questions like this ensure that some of that basic information doesn’t get lost in the scope of their story. Although they’ve lived a lot of life, this is what laid the foundation for how they view the world and the experiences they had!
Ask them about their interests.
Sometimes when you get older, you begin to see yourself through your relationships. It’s important to remember your grandparents have interests beyond family life. What are their hobbies? What are they passionate about? Is their a cause they’ve supported their entire lives? Knowing what types of literature they enjoy or their favorite flower can help add depth to their story as well as give you ways to love them better for as long as you know them! Some common areas to dig deeper are:
Reading habits
Hobbies
Types of exercise they enjoy
Favorite vacation spot
Ask them about historical events.
Older people have the gift of perspective. Over the years, they’ve lived through some major events. Depending on their age, you may want to ask them for their experiences on local, national, or worldwide occurrences. Some events you may want to ask about are:
The Great Depression/DustBowl
Major Wars (WWII, Vietnam, Korea, etc.)
Space activity, such as the Lunar Landing
Presidential activity, such as the Nixon Impeachment
Acts of terror, like 9/11
Solar and lunar eclipses/comet sightings
Humanitarian Movements and/or crises
These topics are typically major milestones in their lives, and they may have “flashbulb memories” so they will remember where they were when they heard the news or how it changed their life at the time. Once you get started talking on these, it may be hard to stop!
Ask about their major life milestones.
While no one’s life follows the exact same trajectory, their are major milestones many people experience over the years. For example, everyone in the U.S. is required to attend school, and many of us have a collective experience of those years! Here are some areas you may ask them to prompt conversation:
Education
Marriage
Career
Children
Grandchildren
Retirement
While this list compiles neatly, there are so many lived experiences that occur within these categories! You can dive in as shallow or as deeply as you wish.
Ask them about their philosophy on life.
A major part of our lifetime as humans is to figure out where we came from and why we are here. It’s actually the top of the pyramid of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, called self-actualization. Since this is fundamental to their experiences, leaving it out of an interview is a huge mistake. Some areas you might want to question them on are:
Faith
Political views
Humanitarianism
Mottos or favorite quotes
Priorities/values
Finances
Food
Friendship
Marriage
You may need to tease this question out by asking follow-up questions. For example, instead of leaving faith at “christian,” you can ask questions like, “What role has faith played in your life?” or “Does it change how you view others or yourself?” Some of their answers may surprise you or encourage you to think deeper yourself!
Ask about favorite family stories.
Every family has stories they love sharing over and over again. Be sure to ask about these in the interview so you can have an accurate account of the occasion in their words. It will make the story that much more precious for years to come!
Developing your list of questions.
The interview you share with your grandparent should be just as unique as they are. As you plan for your interview with them, gather the questions that stand out to you and go with your gut! You know your grandparent better than any stranger on the internet. Prepare your list and get the conversation started. You can always call them for a followup interview if needed and enjoy even more time together in conversation!
Want to learn how to save your family history?
The Story Savers course walks you through saving your family stories, step by step, from preparing for an interview to deciding how to write and share the story you gather. To learn more about the course, click here.