Thursday, February 09, 2012

5 Tips when you're talking to your Parents or Grandparents

Are your grandparents like mine, hesitant to give details about their past?  After months of my grandmother telling me "people my age were seen and not heard", I maintained patience, tact, and a positive attitude until she finally began to talk about her life. The door opened to discovering my family history.

  1. Be patient . It may take 10 minutes to answer one question.
  2. Be Tactful . Even questions like, "when was your first kiss?" could make her uneasy.
  3. Be Positive . Try not to reminisce on the hardships of her life, but the positive aspects.
  4. Be Accurate : Record everything! Write her responses in your genealogy notebook or  software , plus put the phone on speaker and record her voice on your smart phone, ipad or digital recorder.
  5. Be Responsible . Make duplicates! Save your data in multiple areas. I have mine saved in external hard drives, my email, my google docs folder, and flash drives. Your knowledge of grandma  is priceless so send it to relatives! It makes a great Christmas Present or Birthday Gift!!
Type & Print or Print & Write. 10 Questions to ask yourself, your parents or grandparents this week. 
  Welcome to the 21st Century of being seen and heard, while discovering who we are. 
- Sarah

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