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Tips for Collecting Family Quotes and Stories
Nothing says… “This is who I am!” better than a quote.
Kids say the darndest things. Grandparent memories are the leaves on
family trees. True family stories are the best stories.
Quotes and stories are as important as pictures!
Even beyond memories;
asking, listening and recording brings families
closer together. Quote-stimulating questions can encourage people to become
more observant and to search for the answers in life that are worth finding.
Plus it’s fun! Gathering quotes is a little like photography. Once you
start listening (with a trained ear) you begin finding gems everywhere.
Here are 10 tips for getting you started:
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Get a journal. The ideal journal has spaces for recording plus creative
questions and conversation activities that bring out the Art Linkletter in
you. Consider the Hold That Thought for Kids Keepsake Journal (the link
follows).
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Keep the journal somewhere handy, like the kitchen or coffee table, so
it’s easy to find when someone says something funny, wise, or revealing.
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Make a weekly, ten minute, appointment with yourself to write down
short stories. To your family, nothing is more interesting or moving than
true family stories… about someone who did the right thing, a day of
sledding, the day your daughter first discovered cotton candy, etc. Amy
Tan once said, “Memory feeds imagination.”
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Interview family members. Ask questions about favorites, surroundings,
memories, etc. Countless question ideas can be found in Hold That
Thought for Kids and the Curbing Backseat Battles free report (both links
follow).
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Take your interview journal with you. Family reunions, waiting for the
restaurant meal to arrive and vacations are all times families have time
for interviews and conversation.
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Put your name and phone number inside the front cover with a message:
“If found please return. $50 reward” (or whatever amount makes sense
to you). This book will quickly become very valuable to you!
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Aspects of good quote-inspiring questions include:
Open ended and difficult to reply to with “I don’t know.”
Example: “What is one thing you…(like about, remember, notice, etc)
The “What is” part implies there is something.
The “one thing” part suggests a person doesn’t have to think of
everything or the best thing right now.
The “you” indicates interest in an opinion and reassures a person
that there are no right or wrong answers to the question.
Great questions are fun to think about and answer, e.g. “What is one
thing that will surely be in your heaven?”
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Forget about spelling, penmanship, and grammar. Getting it down so
you’ll remember is the important thing. You can spiff up the real gems and
transcribe into your scrapbook later (years later if need be).
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Build relationships and trust by being patient and accepting
(sometimes it takes a while for a youngster, oldster, or anyone to think
of answers to questions). Unanswered questions are often the ones people
think about for days! Bite your tongue if ever you are tempted to
suggest, improve or “correct” answers or stories. However,
it’s your journal. You get to decide what gets recorded and what (in the
written sense) gets politely ignored.
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End question and story sharing sessions with gratitude: “I enjoyed our
talk so much. Thank you!”
Hold That Thought for Kids
offers you quote-inspiring questions and
conversation games that cover different aspects of a child’s life:
On Knowing Me *
The People in My Life * The World Around Me *
All in a Day’s
Imagination * Learning to be Me *
Darndest Words and
Memories:
350 Questions : 50 Conversation Games : 35 Tips on Interviewing
Only $19.95
Order your copy
on Amazon.com now!
“In this day and age, parents are hard pressed to find the time and
energy to sit down and talk to their children. This book makes it easier
to both initiate and record conversations. The terrific responses
children are sure to offer will make strong journaling blocks in the
albums of scrapbookers. After all, journaling is the voice behind
terrific photos and when both images and text come together, they make
the most memorable scrapbook pages.”
-Kerry Arquette, Executive Editor/Memory Makers Books
Why listen to fighting when you can turn drive time into quality time?
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"Fun Questions to Curb
Backseat Battles"
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