Our traditions & things we did

“What are your family's season markers — the firsts you watch for every year?”

Why this question

The first swim, conker season, the lights going up, the annual argument about when the tree goes up. The year's private calendar.

Capturing it in voice

·If they're old enough, hand them the phone and let them answer it themselves. Their phrasing is the treasure; don't tidy it.
·Don't script it. The ums, the tangents, the half-finished sentences — that's what their voice actually sounds like right now.
·Thirty seconds is plenty. A short answer you actually record beats a long one you keep meaning to.

More from Our traditions & things we did

“Tell the story of the trip that went wrong — and became a better story than the ones that went right.”

“What's the best day you've ever had together — so far?”

“What traditions from your own childhood have you passed on — and what have you deliberately changed?”