One day, sadly, we won’t have our parents around, and there are bound to be things you wish that you’d asked them. I have no living grandparents and only one parent, so my links with the past are limited. Here are some subjects I advise discussing with your parents (and grandparents, if they’re still around).
Even if you don’t have any interest in family history, ask your parents about their parents, grandparents, aunts, cousins etc, and write it down. One day you may be curious, or a relative may be grateful for the information.
Photo Credit: Madbuster75
This is something you are obviously not going to remember. So ask your parents all about it. Your mother may not be too keen to remember the experience, but ask about the time you were born, what the labour was like, and how long it took. This may be useful when you have your own children, as you often follow your mother’s example (mine and my sister both had quick labours).
Photo Credit: Lubs Mary.
Ask them about what you were like as a child, the things that you did (I locked Mum out of the house) and the funny sayings you came out with. These are all part of your history.
In many cases, parents meet in conventional ways, but it’s still nice to know. What did they think of each other (My ex: Wow she´s skinny. Me: He´s not very tall …). It´ll probably make you laugh and wonder how they ever got together …
This could be really important if you develop certain conditions. There can often be a genetic link, so any information that you are able to give your doctor could be really useful in helping them make a diagnosis.
Coming from the pre-digital age, your parents are bound to have a stack of photos lying in a cupboard somewhere. Ask them to label all the photos as best they can, with approximate date and people shown in the pictures, or one day you’ll find them and not have a clue who or where they are of.
This is a really difficult topic, as no-one wants to face the prospect of getting old, inevitable though it may be. If you can get your parents to discuss their wishes, it will make things much easier though. Talk about what they want to happen if they are unable to care for themselves, and if they have any preferences for their funeral (difficult subject, I know, but assure them that it is so that their wishes can be carried out).
It´s so sad thinking ‘I wish I’d asked Mum/Dad about …’, so if you ask your parents what they wish they’d asked, you won’t have the same regrets.
What topics do you think it’s important to discuss with your parents? Is there anything you would love to know but don’t dare ask?
Top Photo Credit: Bravo213