How to Get Mom and Dad to Share Their Memories

Your parents have a wealth of memories and yet how much do you really know about your family history?  For instance, what was your mom's first job like? Did your dad have a high school crush? And what really is in that cake your mom makes every year at the holidays?

To find out more about your family history, here are some fun ways to get your parents to share their memories.

Recipe Book

How many times have you asked mom to write down her recipe for a favorite dish? If your family is anything like mine, there is a cook who makes the very best food and yet never seems to have time to write down the instructions on how to make things. Food memories are a favorite item in family history, so get mom or grandma to finally jot down their recipes. Give them a leather bound or uniquely decorated book with request for her to write down instructions for your family's favorite specific dishes.

A bonus with this is that you'll have the recipes in your mom's own hand, which is something you'll cherish each time you take the book out to make the dish. If your mom can add to the "story" of the dish (talking about the different times she made it or even when she ruined it!), it will add that much more to the experience of recreating it after she's passed.

Question Book

It's always the odd little stories about your family history that mean the most. Get your parents to answer questions like:

• What was your neighborhood like growing up?
• Who was the first boy or girl you kissed?
• What was the one thing you learned about marriage that first year?

There are books made especially for this in places like stationary or gift stores, but you can also create your own personalized one by buying a blank book and writing out the questions at the top of the page. Then, have your mom or dad write in the answers in their own hand.

Old Photos

Old photographs are an important part of your family history. Your parents might have a pile of old photos that are in a box, all stuck together, collecting dust. Take care of them by asking mom and dad who the people in the photos are and what the details of the event were. If you can, get them to write out the names of the people in a book or on the backs of the photos. If your parents have a lot of photos, start small and just choose the ones that appeal to you the most. Choose a few to frame, or if you're really ambitious, create an entire wall with black and white pictures from your family's history.

More on spirit and family:

• Caring For Your Parents: How to Get Your Siblings to Help
• How to Love
• No Cost Ways to Nurture Your Spirit