30 Questions for Parents: Get to Know Them as More Than Just Mom and Dad
What do you know about your parents' youth or dreams before you? Discover 30 deep questions for mom and dad to capture their life story.
We often tend to see our own parents only through their roles: as caregivers, providers, mom, and dad. But before they became parents, they were young adults full of dreams, insecurities, and adventures.
Preserving your parents' life story is one of the most valuable things you can do. However, when you wonder what to ask mom or dad, a blank page can easily leave you stuck. To help you get started, we have compiled the 30 best questions for parents, allowing you to get to know them in a completely new way. Especially a mother's life story and a father's youth often reveal sides of them you may have never thought about before.
(Looking for a more extensive list that covers the entire family history? See also 100 best questions for grandparents)
Youth and Finding Their Own Path
- What kind of person were you at age 20?
- What was your biggest dream before you started a family?
- Did you do anything in your youth that your own parents never found out about?
- What was your first home of your own like, and who did you live with?
- How did you choose your profession? Did you have other career dreams?
- Who was your most important role model growing up?
- What kinds of things did you stress about or feel insecure about as a young adult?
- What was your favorite music, and what did it mean to you?
- What was your first trip abroad or your greatest adventure?
- What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self now?
Love and Starting a Family
- How did you meet my other parent? What was your first impression?
- When did you know you wanted to spend your life with them?
- How did it feel to find out you were going to be a parent?
- What has been the best part of parenthood?
- What has been the absolute hardest part of parenthood?
(Fathers' stories, in particular, often remain untold because interviews can feel stiff. Read our tips: My father's story: Questions everyone should ask)
Values and Life Experience
- What was the turning point in your life that changed you as a person?
- What achievement (at work or in your free time) are you most proud of?
- Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back in time?
- How have your friendships changed over the years?
- What values did you receive from your own parents that you wanted to pass on to me?
- What is something you hope I (your child) understand about life?
- What makes you happy right now in this phase of your life?
- Do you still have an unfulfilled dream you would like to achieve?
- How has your understanding of love changed over the years?
- What does a perfect day look like to you?
Personal Favorites and Memories
- What is your favorite book or movie, and why does it speak to you?
- If you could invite anyone (living or dead) to dinner, who would you invite?
- What is your most cherished possession, and what is the story behind it?
- What is the best advice you have ever received?
- How would you like to be remembered as a person?
Effortlessly Capture Family Memoirs Through Voice
Writing is tedious for many, which is why even the most valuable memoirs often remain just a thought. Typing out long answers on a phone or a computer can feel like a heavy chore.
Sanota completely removes the barrier to writing. You can select the questions you want and send them directly to your parent. All they need to do is open the link and reminisce out loud. Sanota listens to the speech and automatically formats it into beautiful, structured text. At the same time, the original audio is also preserved for future generations.
Don't let your parents' stories go untold.