How to Interview Your Grandparents: 30 Essential Questions

Your grandparents are the guardians of a priceless treasure: your family's memory. But that treasure is fragile. Every passing year carries away details, anecdotes and voices that can never be heard again.

Interviewing your grandparents means saving that memory before it is too late. Here is how to go about it — and the 30 best questions to ask.

Before the Interview: Prepare Well

Choose the Right Moment

• Pick a calm time, free from distractions
• After a family meal is often ideal — the atmosphere is relaxed
• Avoid times of fatigue (early afternoon)
• Plan for 30 to 45 minutes per session at most

The Equipment You Need

• A smartphone is enough to record (use aeroplane mode to avoid interruptions)
• A notebook to jot down proper names, dates and places
• Old photographs — nothing triggers memories better
• A glass of water for your grandparent

The Right Mindset

Do not arrive with a rigid questionnaire. Come with genuine curiosity. The best answers come when the person feels you are truly interested in them — not just filling in a form.

30 Questions to Interview Your Grandparents

Childhood (Questions 1–10)

1. Where were you born? Describe the place for me.
2. What was the house like where you grew up? How many rooms? Was there a garden?
3. What was your favourite game when you were little?
4. What were mealtimes like in your family?
5. What dish did your mother cook the best?
6. How did you get to school? On foot, by bicycle, by bus?
7. Which teacher left the biggest impression on you? Why?
8. What is the naughtiest thing you did that you still remember?
9. What were holidays like when you were a child?
10. What is your happiest childhood memory?

Love and Family (Questions 11–17)

11. How did you meet Grandma/Grandpa?
12. How did the proposal happen?
13. Describe your wedding day. What was the celebration like?
14. What was the happiest day of your life together?
15. How did you choose our names (children/grandchildren)?
16. What is the best lesson marriage taught you?
17. What advice would you give for a happy marriage?

Work and Adult Life (Questions 18–23)

18. What job did you dream of doing when you were young?
19. How did you find your first job?
20. Tell me about a typical day at your work.
21. Which professional achievement are you most proud of?
22. What was the hardest period of your working life?
23. If you had to start over, would you choose the same career?

Wisdom and Legacy (Questions 24–30)

24. What is the most important value you want to pass on to us?
25. What advice do you wish you had received at 20?
26. What makes you most proud in your life?
27. Is there anything you regret?
28. What is the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given you?
29. What would you like your great-grandchildren to know about you?
30. If you could relive one single moment of your life, which would you choose?

After the Interview: What to Do with the Answers

Transcribe and Organise

Listening back to the recording is moving in itself. But for these memories to survive, they need to be written down and structured.

Create a Memoir Book

This is the finest way to honour those interviews. A book that the whole family can read, reread and pass on. Looking for an original gift idea to go alongside the project? Discover original gift ideas for your grandfather.

The Raconteo Solution

Rather than transcribing and writing it all yourself, use Raconteo. Our platform offers exactly these questions — and many more. Your grandparent answers by voice or in writing, and the AI transforms each response into a beautiful narrative.

The result? A professionally bound book of their memories, ready to be passed down.

Create my grandparents' memoir book

Frequently Asked Questions

My grandparent does not like talking about themselves. What should I do?

Start with light-hearted questions (childhood games, favourite dishes). Once they feel at ease, deeper memories will come naturally.

Can I interview my grandparents remotely?

Yes. A video call works very well. With Raconteo, your grandparent can even answer on their own, at their own pace, from their phone.

My grandparent has memory problems. Is it still worthwhile?

Absolutely. Even with memory difficulties, older memories are often well preserved. Specific questions (smells, places, sensations) help to reactivate them. Read our dedicated guide on supporting a loved one with Alzheimer's to preserve their memories.