Top 10 Questions To Ask Grandparents To Engage Memory

Exploring the Connection Between Aging And Memory

Our age and our mental abilities work hand in hand. It is common knowledge that our memory starts deteriorating as we grow older. In fact, age-related dementia is one of the health risks that cause most fear among people.

However, not all loss of memory is a result of these mental health conditions. Suffering some form of memory loss after you reach 65 years of age is considered natural. This decline will not be substantial but gradual.

There’s not much to worry about it because people can still carry on with their lives. Age-related memory loss thankfully happens to be mild. Hence, you do not have to be worried about serious consequences arising from it.

Almost all of us will experience this age-related memory at some point in our lives. For your grandparents, that time has arrived.

They might be facing minor struggles in recalling a certain memory that they once had no trouble in recollecting. As their grandkid, it’s your responsibility to ensure their memories stay fresh and alive.

10 Fun Questions You Can Ask Your Grandparents To Keep Their Memory Alive

Check out these 10 entertaining yet memorable questions to ask grandparents and jog their memory.

1. What are your most special memories?

All memories are special. No wonder we still remember them. However, few memories tend to be more special than others. It might be a certain trip, a certain date, a certain event, or just an ordinary day when something extraordinary happened.

Your grandparents perhaps have a huge collection of such memories. Just ask them about it and they might pour it all out!

2. What is your list of favorites?

Favorite song, favorite meal, favorite trip, and more - life is full of favorites. Grandparents are such loving people that they are capable of such great love for the things we love.

Nonetheless, it is high time that we grant them the respect of recognizing their individuality and asking them about their favorites.

3. How did your love story begin?

Have you ever wondered how your grandparents first met? What was their first date like? What's the secret behind their long-lasting love story? If you’re curious about it, there’s only one way to know - ask them about it. It’s one of the best questions to ask grandparents.

4. How was your life before kids?:

All your life, you’ve seen your grandparents in their grandparent role. However, there was a life before all of this _ before you, before your parents.

Ask them about how life was different for them before having kids. Was it much simpler? How did having kids impact their lives? Get to know your grandparents’ earlier life more!

5. What are the memories you share with your parents?

Parents are the ones we cannot imagine our lives without. A moment without them feels empty. Be it a good time or a bad time, any time shared with your parents is special and it’s perhaps true for your grandparents too.

Ask them about what their parents were like, how they spent time, and what are their best memories together.

6. What was the picture of society back then?

This is the most enlightening questions to ask grandparents. Society keeps changing, it’s never the same. It’s in a constant state of evolution. The society your grandparents lived in was quite different from the present one.

The rules, the dressing style, the mindset, the culture, everything differed. Get to know more about it through your grandparents.

7. How was your friend circle?

There comes a point in life when a person who becomes a grandparent ends up dedicating the bulk of their time to the care of their grandchild. There might have been a time when the greater part of their company was their friends instead of the grandkids.

Ask them about what was their friends' circle like. How did they spend their leisure? Friends are the ones who are our second family. Seeing you want to learn about your grandparents’ friends is sure to bring a smile to their face.

8. What were some of your most memorable travels?

Who doesn't love travelling right? Your grandparents might have had their fair share of travel too. Ask them to share their pictures. Get to know more about the best places they visited, places they’d like to visit again, and what made these places so beautiful to them.

9. What did you aim to be in life and did you achieve it?

We meet our grandparents at a time when we feel like they’ve already achieved everything in life. However, just like us, they may have several hidden ambitions too.

Ask them about it and enquire whether they ever got to fulfill it or not. Perhaps, you share the same interest or you could just figure out your own ambition by listening to their story.

10. What is your biggest accomplishment in life to date?

Lastly, your grandparents will be happy to know you want to hear more about their accomplishments. From having kids to having grandkids - they probably have various achievements in life.

However, ask them about other things they feel proud to have accomplished apart from this. It will probably leave you impressed with them even more!

Final Thoughts

Memory is a tricky thing. We want it to serve us right but we never know when it can perform that function. It is natural for our memory to fade as we age. Those times that were etched in our minds may start to dwindle with time.

Just as physical activity can keep us physically fit, likewise, mental activity can strengthen mental fitness. Jog your grandparents’ memory by using the questions to ask grandparents tips mentioned above.