The Kid Kit: All You Need to Interview Your Grandparents

The Kid Kit: All you need to interview your grandparents

INCLUDED:

• 45 FAMILY HISTORY QUESTIONS • 3 BONUS ACTIVITIES • INTERVIEW RECORDING TIPS • THE HISTORY YOUR GRANDPARENTS LIVED THROUGH • TIPS FOR WHAT TO DO POST-INTERVIEW Recommended for children ages 8-12. Recommended for children

Dear Grandma/Grandpa/Poppy/Nana/Oma/Bubbe,

I can’t wait to interview you and learn more about your life before you were my grandparent.

Could you please:

• Tell me when you need a break during our interview?

• Consider my questions an invitation to tell me everything—don’t feel like you should just answer what I ask, but rather use the questions as a springboard to travel back in time, remember, and tell me all the stories that come to mind—please!!

• Have fun! I hope you enjoy this process, and know that I and the rest of the family value you and all that you have experienced.

Love,

CUT OUT, SIGN & GIVE TO YOUR GRANDPARENT & PARENT BEFORE YOUR INTERVIEW.

The Kid Kit

Dear Mom/Dad,

Thank you for giving me this idea and for helping me to set up my interviews with my grandparent! Could you please:

• Let me use one of the family’s smart phones or tablets to record my interviews? I am told that using two might be even better (just in case something goes wrong with one).

• Find a few old photos of your parents that I can show them to prompt memories?

• Suggest some questions I might ask that you know will spark good stories from your parent(s)?

• Help me figure out how to transcribe the interview after it is done? Thank you!!

REMEMBER: These questions are just ideas—you don’t have to ask every one.

FUN IDEA: Show your grandparent a page and let them pick their own questions.

DON’T FORGET: This should be fun (it’s not a homework assignment). START ET ED G !

WHAT WAS YOUR GRANDPARENT LIKE AS A KID? A FEW QUESTIONS TO GET THEM TALKING:

How is growing What did you up today look like when different from you were in when you were elementary a child? school?

Do you still like it? Did it help What were you you in your work Did you have a when you got like as a kid? older? nickname?

up -

What was life Were you What did What was your like when anything like me you want to be favorite subject you were when you were when you in school? growing up? little? grew up?

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GRANDPARENT’S STRONGEST MEMORIES? START THE CONVERSATION! What are some What technology What’s one of other good most surprised your favorite stories about you (TV, car, memories your life? rocket to moon, of being a cell phone)? grandparent?

What’s one of What is a funny your favorite memory from memories of your childhood? being a parent?

Can you tell me about some Is there a time favorite family What city was it in? Did you you remember vacations and have a yard, neighbors who being scared? places that you -up you played with?

traveled? follow

Tell me about Can you tell me a What is one of Describe the your first job. secret from your the happiest house where you Did you like it? life—something memories from lived when you What did you special that no your life? were little. learn? one else knows?

WHAT WAS YOUR Can you tell me GRANDPARENT’S some stories FAMILY LIFE LIKE? about time spent START HERE... with them?

What was my Did you get mom/dad like along with your when they were brothers and little? sisters?

What were your grandparents’ How did you Did you have a names, and what get punished pet growing up? were they like? when you did What kind, and Did you see them something what were their a lot? naughty? name(s)?

What is the most How did you How many Do you look like important lesson meet Grandma/ different places anyone else in your parents Grandpa? have you lived? your family? taught you? What was your wedding like?

BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS LISTEN UP—THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST! TIP! Remember to really LISTEN to your grandparent while he or she talks! Ask questions to learn more about the stories that interest you most.

What could you tell me about your life that would surprise me a lot?

What is the Have you What are you nicest thing you ever failed at thankful for? have ever done something? for someone How did you else? deal with it?

What is the Is there anything nicest thing you wish you How would someone has had done in you like to be ever done for your life that you remembered? you? haven’t yet?

SOME SILLY & LIGHTHEARTED TOPICS WHY DON’T YOU MAKE UP A FEW OF YOUR OWN CRAZY QUESTIONS HERE, TOO?

What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid?

If you could What kind of have a music do you superpower, love? Do what would it you have a be? favorite song? Wanna dance?!

If you could eat If you could just one food ask ME one every day, what question, what would you pick? would it be?

“OUR” RELATIONSHIP START A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW YOUR GRANDPARENT DID YOU KNOW...? ...what a gift you are giving your FEELS ABOUT YOU! grandparent by asking them questions? Do you see them light up when they get to talk about their love for YOU?!

What are some things I did as a kid that I probably don’t remember?

If you could give Do you have any funny stories What is your me just one bit Why do you about me from dream for me? of advice, what love me? would it be? when I was a baby?

ROLE A TASTY PICTURE REVERSAL TREAT THIS! TIME

Teach your grandparent something Do you have a favorite Embark upon a photo scavenger new to them—maybe something dish that your grandparent hunt with your grandparent. using technology they are not cooks? Prepare it together, Whether you live together or far familiar with, or maybe one of your and ask your parents to take apart, ask them to find some old favorite hobbies. A few ideas: pictures of the process. pictures of things you’d like to see. A few ideas: q Ask your grandparent to write how to take a selfie (take one down the recipe in their own q together with a fun filter!) handwriting. their parents

q Write down why you love this q how to make a playlist of dish, what it reminds you of— the house where they grew up their favorite songs and any special cooking notes your grandparent forgets to q q mention as part of the recipe! your grandparent how to kick a soccer ball ...making a funny face After dinner, why not visit again q and prepare a favorite dessert?! q how to draw Darth Vader ...at a sporting event q q how to play Pokémon ...in a uniform q ...in a Halloween costume q ...in an old car

TIPS FOR CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW

Don’t ask yes-or-no questions. Consider every question you ask to be an open-ended question. By that I mean: You don’t want a one-word answer. Not even one sentence! You want stories. You want your questions to prompt memories so you can learn more about your grandparent’s life.

Sometimes it’s good to be silent. If your grandparent doesn’t answer your question right away...wait. Don’t jump RECOMMENDED in and ask another question. Just don’t EQUIPMENT say anything!! A couple of quiet minutes will often give your subject time to think of an AMAZING story. TIP: NECESSARY If you can, set up two Follow-up questions are great! Voice recorder recorders (just in case!). When your grandparent answers a It’s a great thing to sit question with a really good story, ask down and hear your for another! Ask things such as Why? grandparent’s stories, for What if...? Could you tell me more sure—but it’s an important thing, about that? too. So record the conversation!!! Use a voice recorder app on Set up your space. your tablet or your parent’s smart Sit somewhere comfortable and quiet! phone, and make sure it is close Make sure you and your grandparent enough to your grandparent (do a have something to drink. And take test run to make sure the recorder breaks if it seems like they’re getting is working). tired. Most of all, relax—and enjoy!

OPTIONAL Camera Whether you use a phone camera or a digital SLR, use this opportunity with your grandparent to take a few photos of them with you and them alone. One cool idea: Ask them to pose with a framed photo of themselves when they were younger.

If you are separated from your grandparent, whether by a long distance or due to the coronavirus quarantine, it’s even MORE important to reach out to them! Hearing your voice and getting to share stories with you helps them feel connected—and loved. Really!

HOW TO CONNECT This may sound silly, but try setting up another family member’s smart TIPS FOR A GREAT VIDEO CHAT phone or tablet facing you and REMOTE INTERVIEW the computer screen, and hit Many kids are more well-versed “record” on the video camera. This than their parents at this point in ensures that you have a backup Keep it short. video-conferencing, even after just copy of the interview, just in case. There’s something a little less a few weeks of remote learning— Use a mini tripod (you might have comfortable about chatting in front congrats to you if that’s the case! one for selfies) or lean the device of a computer than face-to-face. A few ways you can connect on a stack of books. Your grandparent may get tired with—and record—using your sooner, or need to move around. computer’s video capabilities: PHONE CALL As it’s harder to take breaks Both Google Hangout and Zoom A regular phone call is an together virtually, set up a few are great options you are likely especially good option if your interview sessions. Not only will already familiar with, but recording grandparent isn’t familiar with the stories flow more smoothly, but your sessions can be tricky. If you technology or doesn’t have access you and your grandparent will have or your parents know how, then to a computer. something to look forward to... awesome—go right ahead! For connecting again soon! anyone less familiar with video Option 1 - From a smart phone chat functionality, I Share your questions in recommend trying Use the Free Conference Call app advance. TIP: the always-free to schedule a call from your (or You may want to email a few of Ask Mom or FreeConference your parent’s) smart phone. The your questions to your grandparent Dad to help your

grandparent set Call.com, which app will provide you with a call-in before the call. Sometimes people up the tech. allows you to number that you can give to your feel less comfortable with silences record either grandparent to dial from any phone over the phone (or video chat), so video or audio calls. when it’s time. You can record the this will help them think about their It’s easy to follow the call directly from the app. Go to answers a little ahead of time. directions, and the app is available freeconferencecall.com/support on all devices and platforms for full instructions. Make sure your equipment (including an iPad). is ready. Option 2 - From a landline Test out a video OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT session with a If you prefer not to use any apps family member If you have a video headset that at all, simply call your grandparent, or a friend to you use for gaming (it needs a have the conversation over make sure sound microphone), you might want to speaker phone, and use a quality is okay— plug it into your computer to help separate recording device to and, of course, your grandparent hear you better. record the interview. Old-school, that you are Even better if she/he has one, too! yup—but it works! able to record!

Get everything in writing. Congrats, If you need practice with your typing or just have some extra time, play back the recording of your interview and type it all out. Your you did family may want to chip in for a professional transcription service; it! Scribie (scribie.com) and Rev (rev.com) are just two of many options available online.

Why? Because technology changes fast, so that digital recording might not last forever— but type on paper never needs an upgrade!

Consider making a book. Once your interview is on paper, you might want to put it in a scrapbook with some pictures, or create a digital book if you know how. I bet your parents would love it as a gift!

Do more interviews. Okay, you interviewed your grandmother on Mom’s side—what about your other grandparents? What about asking your PARENTS some questions, too? Gathering family history stories is something you can do for years to help create a special legacy for your loved ones. Make a new list of questions and have some fun with it!

Throw a party! Not just any old party—a story sharing party! Invite your grandparents over. Maybe prepare the meal you learned together, or have your parents cook something you all love. Tell everyone all about your interview project, and some of the favorite stories your grandparent shared. Chances are a few additional stories will come out now, too!

Write a thank-you note to your grandparent. I know doing your interview was fun, but sending your grandparent a handwritten card that says “thank you” is, well, a very nice thing to do!

TWO-CENTURY TIMELINE NOTABLE EVENTS YOUR GRANDPARENTS MIGHT REMEMBER

This timeline is in no way complete. It includes major dates in American history. Beyond wars, it notes changes that probably effected your grandparent’s life in some way.

A few ways you might use this timeline:

• Sit down with your grandparent and ask them to talk to you about some of the things they remember most. Let them take the lead, using the timeline to spark memories.

• Find an event that you learned about in school. Then ask your grandparent specific things about what you were taught and how their own experiences compare.

• Create your own timeline of your grandparent’s life, incorporating a few major historical events as well as milestones from their life: their own birthday plus birthdays of their kids and grandkids; their wedding date; any any other milestones they can tell you about.

n dates in history n cultural touchstones

1914 World War I breaks out.

1918 World War I ends.

1920 Women gain the right to vote.

1929 The U.S. Stock Market crashes, starting the Great Depression.

1935 The first color movie is released in theaters.

1939 World War II breaks out. The Great Depression ends.

1939 The TV is introduced at the New York World’s Fair.

1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.

1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy signals the beginning of the end of the war.

1945 The United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1945 World War II ends.

1950 The Korean War begins.

1951 I Love Lucy airs on television.

1953 The Korean War ends.

1953 Effective polio vaccine invented.

1954 School segregation abolished, Brown vs. Board of Education.

1955 Disneyland theme park opens in California.

1956 Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1958 American Express issued its first credit card.

1959 Alaska becomes the 49th and Hawaii the 50th states of America.

1963 President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.

1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous speech, “I have a dream.”

1964 The Beatles arrive in the U.S. amidst teenage mayhem, marking the start of “the British Invasion.”

1965 The United States officially enters the Vietnam War. Landmark voting rights bill is passed, making it possible for all races to vote.

1968 Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.

1969 Neil Armstrong becomes first man to walk on the moon.

1969 Woodstock music festival is held in Bethel, New York.

1971 The New York Times begins to publish the Pentagon Papers.

1971 Cigarette ads are banned.

1972 The 26th amendment to the Constitution changes the voting age from 21 to 18.

1974 President Nixon resigns after the Watergate Scandal.

1975 The Vietnam War ends.

1975 The first personal computer is sold.

1977 The firstStar Wars movie is released.

1980 The Rubick’s Cube is released. CNN, the first 24-hour news network, debuts.

1981 MTV debuts.

1989 Berlin Wall collapses.

1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison in South Africa. The Gulf War begins.

1991 The Soviet Union dissolves; the Cold War ends.

1991 The World Wide Web went live to the world. Most people didn’t even know what the Internet was.

1995 The O.J. Simpson trial grips the country. Princess Diana dies.

1998 President Bill Clinton is impeached.

2001 The 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States occur, shocking New York City, Washington, D.C., and the world.

2003 The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, when Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana as it re- entered Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.

2004 Facebook is launched.

2007 The first iPhone is released.

2008 Barack Obama is elected President, becoming the first African American to hold the office.

2011 Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is killed by American troops.

2015 Same-sex marriage is legalized in all 50 states.

2020 The novel Coronavirus pandemic demands sheltering-in-place and social distancing as doctors fight the battle to save lives.

Ask your grandparent about:

• drive-in movie theaters

• where they were when the moon landing was televised

• how they felt after President Kennedy’s assassination

tinues on A resource from ModernHeirloomBooks.com. ©2020 Modern Heirloom Books LLC. For personal use only. c THANK YOU for purchasing this family history “Kid Kit” and empowering your child(ren) and parent(s) to bond over story sharing!

I genuinely hope that the process of preparing for and conducting the interviews is enjoyable for your child— AND that you will help them preserve the stories as part of your family’s legacy.

If I can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out (and I’d love to hear how your family’s interviews go!).

If you liked this product, please consider leaving a review on my Facebook page or Best, emailing me a note that I can use on my website—as a small business, much of my Dawn success depends upon word-of-mouth recommendations from happy customers ; )

I’d love to talk to you about creating an heirloom book showcasing your family’s personal history. Please call me any time to discuss any project you have in mind. [email protected] Find a variety of FREE downloadable resources at modernheirloombooks.com/toolkit 917.922.7415 Our Story

Modern Heirloom Books, founded by magazine publishing veteran Dawn M. Roode (Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Parenting), is the best resource for helping you preserve and share your stories exquisitely.

We expertly curate your “stuff ”— old photos from boxes, digital family photos from phones and hard drives; hone your memories; elicit stories that surprise and delight; and design a coffee table book that is graphically and narratively evocative.

@heirloombooks Dawn’s compassionate and interested interviewing style makes subjects not @modernheirloom only feel comfortable, but excited about sharing their stories. /modernheirloombooks

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