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These are some of the "story tickler" questions I provide to prepare for your sharing.
Use them to create your own meaningful story telling time, in person or on the Free Skype video service.
They are particularly valuable in opening communications between children and their elders.
Make a game out of it, with rewards for the children knowing the answers.
• What is your full name and why were you named it?
• Did you have a nickname as you were growing up?
• If you did, what was it and why did they call you that? Would you have preferred a different one?
• Where were you born and when? What were you told about the circumstances of your birth?
• Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? What did they say?
• What do you know about your great-grandparents?
• Do you remember your family discussing world events and politics?
• Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
• Do you remember having a favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story? What was it?
• Do you ever remember not having enough food to eat because times were hard for your family?
• What were your favorite toys and what were they like?
• What were your favorite childhood games?
• What were your schools like?
• How did you get to school?
• What were your favorite subjects in school and why? What clubs and organization did you belong to in school.
• What subject in school was always the easiest for you?
• What was your least favorite subject in school and why?
• Who was your favorite teacher and why were they special?
• How do your fellow classmates from school remember you best?
• What school activities and sports did you participate in?
• Did you and your friends have a special hang-out where you liked to spend time? Yes? Tell me about it.
• Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
• How many years of education have you completed?
• Do you have a college degree? If so, what was your field of study?
• Did you get good grades?
• Did you like school?
• What did you like the most and the least about it?
• What did you usually wear to school? Describe it.
• Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
• How old were you when you started dating?
• Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
• Name a good friend that you have known for the longest period of time? How many years have you been friends?
• Have there ever been people in your life that you would consider to be your kindred spirit or soul mate?
• How did you meet the person that you would later marry? Describe them?
• Do you remember where you went on the first date with your spouse?
• How long did you know them before you got married?
• Describe your wedding proposal.
• When and where did you get married?
• Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
• Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
• How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
• How long have you been married (or were you married)?
• What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
• How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?
• How many children did you have all together?
• What were their names, birthdates and birthplaces?
• Do you remember anything that your children did when they were small that really amazed you?
• What is one of the most unusual things that one of your children did regularly when they were small?
• What was the funniest thing you can remember that one of your children said or did?
• If you had it to do all over again, would you change the way you raised your family? How?
• What did you find most difficult about raising children?
• What did you find most rewarding about being a parent?
• Did you spoil any of your children? How?
• Were you a strict or lenient parent?
• Did you find that you had to treat each of your children differently? If so, why?
• How did you first hear that you were a grandparent and how did you feel about it?
• What advice do you have for your children and grandchildren?
• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• What was your first job?
• What kinds of jobs have you had?
• How did you decide on your career?
• Did you make enough money to live comfortably?
• How long did you have to work each day at your job?
• How old were you when you retired?
• What were the hardest choices that you ever had to make? Do you feel like you made the right choices?
• Who was the person that had the most positive influence on your life? Who were they and what did they do?
• Is there a person that really changed the course of your life by something that they did or said to you?
• Do you remember someone saying something to you that had a big impact on how you lived your life? What was it?
• How would you describe yourself politically?
• Are you Conservative or Liberal and why?
• What wars have been fought during your lifetime? How did you feel about them?
• If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
• If you served in the military, were you ever injured in the line of duty? What were the circumstances and what were your injuries?
• What U.S. President have you admired the most and why?
• As you see it, what are the biggest problems that face our nation and how do you think they could be solved?
• How tall are you?
• What color was your hair as a young child and then as an adult?
• What color are your eyes?
• Where have you lived as an adult? List the places and the years that you lived there.
• Why are you living where you are today?
• Do you wish you lived somewhere else (If so, where would it be)?
• Describe your general health.
• What major illnesses or health problems do you remember having?
• Do you have any health problems that are considered hereditary in nature? If so, what are they?
• What do you do regularly for exercise?
• Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?
• Have you ever been in a serious accident?
• Has anyone ever saved your life? Describe.
• Have you ever saved anyone else's life? Describe.
• Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, what for?
• Have you ever had surgery? If so, what for?
• If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
• Have you ever had an experience that you would consider to be super-natural or psychic?
• What do you usually dream about?
• What church, if any, do you attend regularly? Why that faith and congregation? Have you investigated others?
• Describe your religious beliefs in as much detail as you can.
• Do you believe in an after life?
• What was the most stressful experience that you ever lived through? What helped you get through it?
• What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you personally?
• What kinds of musical instrument(s) have you learned to play?
• Would you consider yourself creative?
• What things have you made that others have enjoyed?
• What is the funniest practical joke you ever played on anyone?
• What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?
• What is an amazing thing that has happened to you?
• What were some embarrassing things that have happened to you?
• Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.
• What organizations and groups have you belonged to?
• Have you ever won any special awards or prizes as an adult? What were they for?
• Describe a time and place when you remember feeling truly at peace and happy to be alive. • What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what was it like?
• What is the longest trip that you have ever gone on? Where did you go?
• What has been your favorite vacation? Where did you go and why was it special?
• What was the favorite place you ever visited and what was it like?
• What pets have you had? Do you have a favorite story about a pet? What is it?
• What are some of the cars you’d put in your fantasy garage
• What are some things that you'd still love to do, if it could be arranged? (Your Bucket list )
• What life lessons would you like me / us to remember?
• What would you like me / us to remember about you?
Use them to create your own meaningful story telling time, in person or on the Free Skype video service.
They are particularly valuable in opening communications between children and their elders.
Make a game out of it, with rewards for the children knowing the answers.
• What is your full name and why were you named it?
• Did you have a nickname as you were growing up?
• If you did, what was it and why did they call you that? Would you have preferred a different one?
• Where were you born and when? What were you told about the circumstances of your birth?
• Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? What did they say?
• What do you know about your great-grandparents?
• Do you remember your family discussing world events and politics?
• Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
• Do you remember having a favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story? What was it?
• Do you ever remember not having enough food to eat because times were hard for your family?
• What were your favorite toys and what were they like?
• What were your favorite childhood games?
• What were your schools like?
• How did you get to school?
• What were your favorite subjects in school and why? What clubs and organization did you belong to in school.
• What subject in school was always the easiest for you?
• What was your least favorite subject in school and why?
• Who was your favorite teacher and why were they special?
• How do your fellow classmates from school remember you best?
• What school activities and sports did you participate in?
• Did you and your friends have a special hang-out where you liked to spend time? Yes? Tell me about it.
• Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
• How many years of education have you completed?
• Do you have a college degree? If so, what was your field of study?
• Did you get good grades?
• Did you like school?
• What did you like the most and the least about it?
• What did you usually wear to school? Describe it.
• Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
• How old were you when you started dating?
• Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
• Name a good friend that you have known for the longest period of time? How many years have you been friends?
• Have there ever been people in your life that you would consider to be your kindred spirit or soul mate?
• How did you meet the person that you would later marry? Describe them?
• Do you remember where you went on the first date with your spouse?
• How long did you know them before you got married?
• Describe your wedding proposal.
• When and where did you get married?
• Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
• Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
• How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
• How long have you been married (or were you married)?
• What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
• How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?
• How many children did you have all together?
• What were their names, birthdates and birthplaces?
• Do you remember anything that your children did when they were small that really amazed you?
• What is one of the most unusual things that one of your children did regularly when they were small?
• What was the funniest thing you can remember that one of your children said or did?
• If you had it to do all over again, would you change the way you raised your family? How?
• What did you find most difficult about raising children?
• What did you find most rewarding about being a parent?
• Did you spoil any of your children? How?
• Were you a strict or lenient parent?
• Did you find that you had to treat each of your children differently? If so, why?
• How did you first hear that you were a grandparent and how did you feel about it?
• What advice do you have for your children and grandchildren?
• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• What was your first job?
• What kinds of jobs have you had?
• How did you decide on your career?
• Did you make enough money to live comfortably?
• How long did you have to work each day at your job?
• How old were you when you retired?
• What were the hardest choices that you ever had to make? Do you feel like you made the right choices?
• Who was the person that had the most positive influence on your life? Who were they and what did they do?
• Is there a person that really changed the course of your life by something that they did or said to you?
• Do you remember someone saying something to you that had a big impact on how you lived your life? What was it?
• How would you describe yourself politically?
• Are you Conservative or Liberal and why?
• What wars have been fought during your lifetime? How did you feel about them?
• If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
• If you served in the military, were you ever injured in the line of duty? What were the circumstances and what were your injuries?
• What U.S. President have you admired the most and why?
• As you see it, what are the biggest problems that face our nation and how do you think they could be solved?
• How tall are you?
• What color was your hair as a young child and then as an adult?
• What color are your eyes?
• Where have you lived as an adult? List the places and the years that you lived there.
• Why are you living where you are today?
• Do you wish you lived somewhere else (If so, where would it be)?
• Describe your general health.
• What major illnesses or health problems do you remember having?
• Do you have any health problems that are considered hereditary in nature? If so, what are they?
• What do you do regularly for exercise?
• Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?
• Have you ever been in a serious accident?
• Has anyone ever saved your life? Describe.
• Have you ever saved anyone else's life? Describe.
• Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, what for?
• Have you ever had surgery? If so, what for?
• If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
• Have you ever had an experience that you would consider to be super-natural or psychic?
• What do you usually dream about?
• What church, if any, do you attend regularly? Why that faith and congregation? Have you investigated others?
• Describe your religious beliefs in as much detail as you can.
• Do you believe in an after life?
• What was the most stressful experience that you ever lived through? What helped you get through it?
• What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you personally?
• What kinds of musical instrument(s) have you learned to play?
• Would you consider yourself creative?
• What things have you made that others have enjoyed?
• What is the funniest practical joke you ever played on anyone?
• What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?
• What is an amazing thing that has happened to you?
• What were some embarrassing things that have happened to you?
• Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.
• What organizations and groups have you belonged to?
• Have you ever won any special awards or prizes as an adult? What were they for?
• Describe a time and place when you remember feeling truly at peace and happy to be alive. • What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what was it like?
• What is the longest trip that you have ever gone on? Where did you go?
• What has been your favorite vacation? Where did you go and why was it special?
• What was the favorite place you ever visited and what was it like?
• What pets have you had? Do you have a favorite story about a pet? What is it?
• What are some of the cars you’d put in your fantasy garage
• What are some things that you'd still love to do, if it could be arranged? (Your Bucket list )
• What life lessons would you like me / us to remember?
• What would you like me / us to remember about you?
