77 Questions To Ask Your Grandparents About Their Life
Learn from their years of experience and get exciting history lessons by asking the right questions.
Expertise: Relationships, Trauma, Anxiety, & Self-Esteem
Experience: 5 years
Nathalie Maggio is a licensed marriage and family therapist and EMDR-trained and certified clinical trauma specialist with 5 years of experience. She pursued her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, and MS in C... more
Expertise: Beauty & Lifestyle
Sushmita has a master’s degree in English literature from Gauhati University, Assam, and is an experienced content writer and editor. Genres like fashion, beauty, and lifestyle have always intereste... more
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Wondering what questions to ask your grandparents? Why should you ask any questions at all? Well, to gain knowledge. Yes, you heard that right! Grandparents are no less than a reservoir of knowledge acquired through numerous experiences. They are ever-ready to share this knowledge with the next generations. But, on the other hand, grandchildren may feel shy to strike up a conversation with them due to the generation gap. So, how do you get them to talk to their grandparents? The holiday season is just around the corner, and it is that time of the year when you get to meet your extended families, from grandparents to the youngest ones in the family tree. You, as a grandkid, may want to make the most of these moments and strengthen your bonds with your grandparents. Ask them questions that encompass family traditions, family tree and history, trials and tribulations of their times, how the current era differs from theirs, and more. How well grandchildren interact with their grandparents also has much to do with how their parents encourage them. The parents should plant some ideas in the minds of their kids on how they can initiate a conversation with their grandparents. In this article, we have listed 77 interesting questions you can ask your grandparents and improve your bond with them. So, let us get started.
In This Article
77 Interesting Questions To Ask Your Grandparents
So, to make it easier to pick the questions you like based on your suitability, we have categorized the questions to ask grandparents accordingly. Let us read them now:
Questions To Ask Your Grandparents About Family History
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- Where do we originally come from?
- Would you please tell us about our ancestors?
- What was our ancestral home like?
- How did we get our surname?
- Did our great grandparents participate in old wars?
- Do we have a symbol that is significant to our clan?
- Where were our ancestors buried?
- What did our ancestors look like?
- Did our ancestors speak any language that is different from ours?
- What other languages did your grandparents speak?
- What are the most common occupations our ancestors were involved in?
Questions To Ask Your Grandparents About Their Life
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- Do you have a different birth name?
- Who gave your official name, and what does it mean?
- What significance does your nickname hold?
- Where did you study?
- What was your academic life like?
- How was teaching like, back in your times?
- What kind of technology did you use extensively at your young phase?
- Who were your friends during your growing age?’•
- Were you the kind of person who would annoy your siblings too?
- What was my mom/dad like during childhood?
- Did you have a best friend? If you did, what made them the best?
- What kind of sports did you play during your childhood?
- What places have you visited in your life, and which ones did you love the most among them?
- How did you spend your summer and winter vacations?
- What was your favorite sport?
- Did you have a favorite subject in school? If yes, what was it and why?
- What were your hobbies as a child?
- What kind of food preparations were done during the holiday season before?
Generic Questions To Ask Your Grandmother
- What was life like as a woman of your era?
- What were the fun activities you did as a girl?
- Did you come across any difficulties while growing up as a female of your time?
- What kind of professions did women in your days take up?
Generic Questions To Ask Your Grandfather
- How would you describe the notion of toxic masculinity during your times?
- What were the kinds of jobs that men used to take at your times?
- Were those days simpler for men?
- What were the trials and tribulations faced by men of your generation?
Comparison Questions To Ask Your Grandparents
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So it is natural to feel an inclination towards comparing the old times with the present day. And having your grandparents around makes it easier for you to build a much more informed comparison because of the first-hand information you can obtain from them. These comparisons that allow you to find both differences and similarities between the two generations always come in handy while dealing with life and making intelligent decisions. Also, they provide you the ability to gain a different perspective towards life’s uncountable matters, which is extremely important. Therefore, with that vein in mind, we have crafted a few good questions to ask your grandparents concerning this comparison. Let’s dive into it and gain those necessary insights from them.
- Do you think technology, along with making life simpler, has also brought some harmful disruptions to society, unlike your times?
- Do you think that the present generation is less hardworking than people of your days?
- Despite the nutritional values known better today due to the rigorous research and development, do you think we still lack in eating healthy food, unlike the old days?
- How is the present-day childhood different from the one that your generation lived?
- Do you think that people are more independent than the older generation?
- Do you think that we have more opportunities in life than you did back in your times?
- Would you support today’s digital revolution or the yesteryears’ idea of living with nature closely?
- How does the domain of music differ from the music of your days?
- How would you describe the differences or similarities between the art of your times and ours?
- Do you think science is evolving at a faster rate than before?
- Were the people of your times much more confident following their dreams and aspirations, or is it the generation today?
- Do you think children these days are less affectionate towards people than the children of your time? If yes, then why?
- Do you think that women of our times are much more vocal about their needs than the women of your generation? Would you please state the reasons behind your answer too?
- What do you think is the reason behind people suffering from more and more psychological illnesses compared to folks of your time?
- Do you think our lifestyle has become easier or more complicated with the advent of innovative technologies than ever?
- If given the opportunity, would you like to live the kind of life I lived in the modern era, or would you prefer your era itself?
- Do you think our education system is striving more than before?
- Why do you think we are so dependent on gadgets while you grew up easily without them?
- Do you think most relationships today are futile compared to the ones in your era?
Funny Questions To Ask Your Grandparents
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Well, now let us lighten the mood. You don’t wanna bombard your dear grandparents with endless serious questions, do you? Of course, you don’t. You are getting together to celebrate something and having the greatest of times, especially with them. So why not make merry by asking some extremely fun questions to them, especially something that takes them down the memory and makes them laugh hard? Cool! Let’s get on with it then. Below are some of the best questions to ask your grandparents that will tickle their funny bone big time. And what’s better than the sight of their adorable laughing faces?
Funny Questions To Ask Your Grandma
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- What kind of mischievous activities were you known for in the family?
- Were you too hesitant to eat healthy food like me?
- What was your wedding like?
- Was it a love marriage with my grandfather?
- Who proposed first?
- How was dating like, back in your days?
- Did you have a “bridezilla” moment at your wedding?
- How did you communicate with grandpa while you both were dating?
- If it was an arranged marriage with granddad, how was the initial phase of living with a stranger?
- Was my grandpa like that knight in shining armor for you?
- Was granddad romantic?
- What is the most annoying thing about grandpa?
Funny Questions To Ask Your Grandpa
- Were you a naughty child?
- How did you annoy your parents?
- Who made the first move while you were dating granny?
- Was dating granny peaceful or challenging?
- Did you have to chase granny for a long period of time in college?
- What is that one thing about granny that annoys you?
- How do you make grandma angry purposefully?
- Would you let granny know about anything funny today that you never told her before, fearing she would be mad at you? (Answer at your own risk)
- Did you experience cold feet at your wedding?
Infographic: Why Spending Time With Your Grandparents Is Important
Grandparents are such a joy to have in our lives. They are a treasure trove of knowledge and provide comfort and solace. Asking them questions allows you to get to know them and create a special bond. We have listed a few reasons why spending time with your grandparents is important.
Check out the infographic below to know more. Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
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Family gatherings are meant to be fun. And when you have grandparents in those fun gatherings, you cannot afford to let go of the opportunity to know them and their lives better – to see the world from their eyes and know their opinions.
According to Nathalie Maggio, LMFT, “Spending time with grandparents and asking them questions to find out more about them and their lives can enrich one’s life in many ways. Studies suggest that having a close bond with our grandparents can positively impact our general and emotional well-being. Grandparents often understand your family dynamic better than anyone else. You may grow a deeper understanding into who you are and where certain traits came from.”
So, take your inspiration from the questions to ask your grandparents and put it to good use when you meet them the next time. Not only will you gain knowledge from these questions but also you will make your grandparents feel special.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I text my grandparents?
Here are some joyful message ideas to brighten your grandparents’ day:
• Wishing you an amazing and memorable day!
• Sending love and warm greetings! Just wanted to say hello.
• What exciting plans do you have for the weekend?
• Sending you love, peace, and positive energy!
What do you say to a sick grandma?
Words of encouragement for your grandmother’s recovery:
• Sending you love and positive thoughts. You are strong and will overcome this.
• Grandma, sending you love and prayers for a swift recovery. You are loved!
• Wishing you a quick recovery, Grandma. Sending love and hugs.
• Grandma, take care and get well soon. Sending you love and support.
Key Takeaways
- Q&As, when done right, is a fun playful way to know your grandparents better.
- You can get to know about their likes, dislikes, preferences and opinions, in a fun jovial way.
- Asking important questions and understanding their stance may help strengthen the bond and give you clarity about many of life’s important aspects from their personal experiences.
