| How to Interview Family Members This Holiday Season |
| It’s that time of year when we get together with our families to share warmth, delicious food and vibrant conversation. As you swap stories over favorite family recipes, consider taking a walk down memory lane with your relatives. Learning even small details about their past can guide your genealogy research or even help you write your family history. And what better time to do it when the entire family is in the same room to chime in with their own memories? |
| Of course, it may feel awkward simply to initiate a family history interview without a plan in place. Here are some tips to help you get the most value from interviewing your relatives, be it while digging in at the dinner table or resting with a full belly on the couch: Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions. This is more than just small talk; it’s a family history interview! It’s okay to want answers. To avoid awkward silences, come up with a few questions beforehand. If you aren’t sure what to ask, we have a list of excellent questions you can weave into your conversation. Bring photos and other physical heirlooms. Maybe recently while cleaning, you stumbled upon a charming photo of Grandma and Grandpa, and you’d love to know the backstory. Or maybe you’ve held tight to that quilt Grandma made you when you were little and you want to hear how it came to be. Bringing these items along with you may spark memories that lay dormant for years! This can be especially handy if you want more info about a historical event and have an artifact from the time to share. Save every word to savor later. Leftover pumpkin pie isn’t the only treat you’ll want to take home with you. You’ll want to make sure that you record Grandma as she talks so that you can return to any part of her story later. The best part is that there are many free voice recording apps for both Android and iOS, and you don’t need to be a tech whiz to use them! We wish you many rich conversations with your family over the holidays! |
