30 Life Story Questions for Grandparents

“I wouldn’t know what to say.”

So many people say the same thing. They want to leave something behind for the people they love. They want their grandkids to know who they really were. And then they sit in front of a camera, or a blank page, and freeze.

Where do you even start with a whole life?

When You Don’t Know What to Ask

Most of us have the same problem from the other side. We know we should ask our grandparents about their lives. But when the moment comes, our minds go blank, and we end up talking about the weather.

One grandma I know found a beautiful way around it.

Five Questions From Every Grandchild

She asked each of her grandkids to come up with five questions they’d want to know about her.

Her plan is to build her script around those questions and weave them into a story. One for each grandchild. Then send each one into the future, for a time they will need it.

Safely secured in their family keepsakes, so they’ll have her memory forever.

The Question That Caught Her Off Guard

The questions coming back have been great. Some silly. Some that caught her off guard.

My favourite so far?

“Is it worth living until you’re 70?”

I’ve loved hearing about these questions. Some are easy. Some have made me tear up.

One day these videos might be all they have of her, and she wants them to be great.

Why It Matters So Much to Her

I know this family well. They are close and loving, the kind of family where the grandparents are always there. She and their grandad invested so much of their time in their grandkids, and it shows in every one of them.

She is the most loving grandma. She’s been a huge part of her grandkids’ lives, creating special bonds with each one of them. This year she also became a great grandma, and she’s embraced that new joy completely.

When her husband, their grandad, passed away so suddenly, it was a reminder that we don’t always get the chance to say everything we want to.

So she wants to make sure they all have something to keep of their grandparents.

30 Life Story Questions to Ask Your Grandparents

If your family isn’t sure where to start, here are 30 questions to borrow. They follow a life from the very beginning to today, so the stories flow naturally. Pick five to begin, or ask the grandkids to choose.

Where I come from

Where were you born, and what was the house you grew up in like?
What’s your earliest memory?
What were your parents or the people who raised you like? What’s one thing each of them used to say?
Who were you closest to growing up, whether a brother, sister, cousin or best friend? What’s a story about the two of you that still makes you smile?
Did you know your grandparents? What do you remember about them, and where did our family come from before that?

Growing up and finding my way

What did you get up to for fun as a kid, and who was usually with you?
What were you like as a teenager, and what did you get into trouble for?
What did you dream of becoming when you were young, and what happened to that dream?
What was your first job, and what did you spend your first pay on?
What big moment in history did you live through, and where were you when it happened?

Love and family

How did you meet your partner, what did you first notice about them, and when did you know?
What do you remember about the day each of your children was born, and what were they like as little ones?
What’s the family story that always gets told when we’re all together?
Who’s in these old photos? Tell me about them.
What’s a family recipe or tradition you’d want passed down, and how do you really make it?

Tip: have a few old photos beside you, or an object with a story behind it. They are often the easiest way into a memory.

The life I built

How did you spend your working years, whether in a job, at home, or both? What part are you proudest of?
Of all the places you’ve lived, which one felt most like home, and why?
What’s the greatest adventure you ever had, or the furthest you ever travelled from home?
Is there a faith, a cause or a community that has shaped your life? What has it given you?
What have you always loved doing just for the joy of it, and is there a song that takes you straight back to a time in your life?

What life taught me

What were the happiest years of your life, and why?
What was the hardest time you went through, and what got you through it?
What was the biggest turning point in your life, and what made you choose the way you did?
What are you most proud of?
What mistake taught you the most, and what do you know now that you wish you’d known at 20?

What I want you to know

What matters most to you in life, and where did that come from?
Is there anything you’ve never told us that you’d like us to know?
What do you hope for our family in the years ahead?
What do you want your family to remember about you?
If you could leave a message for someone you love on a big day, like their 18th, wedding, or first baby, what would you say?

For more ideas, see our questions to ask your grandmother and your grandfather, or try the five questions game at Christmas.

How to Turn Five Questions Into a Story

This is exactly what we built FromBeyond.co to make easy.

Choose five questions. Ask the grandkids for theirs, or pick five from the list above.
Answer them in your own words. Take your time. Pauses are fine, and you can stop for a cuppa between questions. Your answers become your script.
Ask Nex to check it. Nex reads your script through for flow, so your story is easy to tell and lovely to hear.
Record, and choose when it arrives. An 18th birthday. A wedding day. A first baby. Each video waits safely until the moment it’s needed.

Ask Your Grandkids What They’d Want to Know

Next time you speak to your grandkids, ask them what they’d want to know about you.

You might be surprised by the answers. And even more surprised by the questions.

What do you think your grandkids would ask you?

Alice Footer, Co-Founder of FromBeyond.co

FromBeyond.co helps you capture and preserve the stories that matter most, before time runs out.

What Questions Would You Ask Your Grandparents