How to keep Mum and Dad's stories
The easiest way to keep Mum and Dad's stories is to ask them one question at a time and write down what they tell you. You don't need a recorder, a big sit-down or a plan. One good question, asked in person or on a call, is enough to get them going.
Most of us know the same few stories by heart and have never asked about the rest. Where Dad had his first job. How Mum ended up in the town she grew up in. Who they went on holidays with as kids. Those answers come out when someone asks.
TaleOak is a simple way to make that a weekly thing. Once a week you draw one question, ask Mum or Dad, and save what they say in your family house.
Questions to start with
Pick one. Ask it, then ask "then what?" once or twice.
- What was your first job, and how much did it pay?
- What was the house you grew up in like?
- Where did you two go on your first date?
- What did you get up to on school holidays?
- What song takes you straight back to being a teenager?
How a weekly Draw works
On Today you draw one question card. It starts face-down, and you flip it to see the question. Ask Mum or Dad whenever suits that week, at dinner, in the car or on the phone. Then save their answer as a short story or with a photo. Draws take turns between Mum and Dad, and there's one a week, so it never piles up.
One question is enough
You don't need a plan or a list. Ask the question at dinner, in the car or on the phone, and see where it goes. Next week, do it again.
Want the step-by-step? Here's how to ask one question a week and save Mum and Dad's stories.
Your family house
Everything you save goes into your family house. Your brothers, sisters and partners can read it and chat about it. Mum's page and Dad's page fill up with what they love, what they don't, and the things you never knew.
Who can see it
Stories in your family house are only for the people in it. This blog is public. Your stories never are.
If you found us through search, you can start at taleoak.com.