Week 13: Belonging

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

Let's talk about the clubs or organizations you were in during these years, OK? Were you in cub scouts or brownies or were you in a 4-H club? What did you do in those clubs? What about church activities? Were you active in Primary? How did you feel about going? Did you like to learn the songs? Were you anxious to graduate to MIA? Do you have any specific memories about Primary that you can remember? Are they good or bad memories? Did your Primary years help you in your adult life? Tell me about it. How about a "secret club" with some of your friends in the neighborhood? What was the name of the club? (I know it's a secret, but I won't tell) Who was int he club and what did you do? Where were these club meetings held? Were these clubs and organizations or groups important to you? Why or why not?

Do you think your involvement or lack of involvement in groups like these had a significant influence in shaping your self concept and values? Were you ever in a children's choir? Did you ever participate in a dace recital? Were you ever in a sports league of any kind? Do you feel that sports participation on a league level at this early age is wise? Why or why not? Did you perform in a recital with an instrument? How do you feel about children int he grade school level taking lessons and performing? What about in competition? Is it too young? Did it benefit or hurt your early years? Explain.

Week 12: School

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

Did you attend a formal (public or private) elementary school or were you taught at home? Do you remember the names of the school(s) you attended up through the 6th grade? What were those schools like...big or small...always hot or too cold or just right? Well lit or poorly lit? Quiet or noisy?

Were those elementary schools close to home or did you have to walk a long way to get there? How did you get to school? Did you ride a bus (or a horse, or a bicycle, or something else?) or did your parents take you?

Did you ever get into "trouble" at elementary school? What games did you play at recess? Do you remember anything significant or unusual that happened on your way to or from school? Did you have any special teachers in elementary school (or up until the time that you were approximately 12 years old)? What do you remember about them? Why were they so special? Any particularly memorable principals (or ones who used a big paddle)? Were those early school years fun and exciting, or were they difficult and frightening, ro some of each? Why? What made them that way? I'd like to hear about it.

Week 11: Bark & Purr

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

In this topic "Bark and Purr" I will ask you about your pets during these years. Did you have a pet? Or, did your family have a dog, cat, bird, spider, horse, pet snake, rabbit, hamster...?

Were these pets really important to you during these years? Why or how were they important? Did any of your pets die? How did you deal with their death? Did a pet ever rescue you (like "Rin-Tin-Tin" or "Lassie" used to do)? What happened? Do you wish you had had more or some other kind of pets? Why? Is it helpful or beneficial for children to have pets as they are growing up? How do they help or are they relatively unimportant? In future chapters, I will ask about your pets later in life. For right now, just tell me anything else you'd like to say about your pets in these "early years" (up until the time you were approximately 12 years old.

Week 10: Wheels

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

Did you have a bicycle or a scooter? Tell me about it. How about skates or a go cart? Did you skate a lot? Ride your go cart a lot? Ever have a serious accident on these wheels?

How do you feel about skate boards?

Were these things important to you?

Was there a bicycle or pair of skates you did NOT have, but wished or dreamed or prayed for?

Do you remember any special cars or trucks that your family owned during these years? Anything unusual about these vehicles? I'd love to hear about it.

Week 9: Trucks & Dolls & ....

After a short hiatus (because of Finals and end of summer fun) we can now return to our "Book of Memories".

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

I'd like to hear about the toys you played with as a young child. During these early years, did you have any toys or playthings that were particularly meaningful to you? What were they? Why were they so special?

Do you have any memories of a toy that you wished for but never received (or never got the chance to play with?) What was it? Why was that toy so important to you?

How about musical instruments? Did you learn (or try to learn) to play the piano, violin, trumpet or ??? Was music important or unimportant to you during these years?

What about dolls? Describe yours to me. Did they have names? Why was it, they, so special? Would you encourage your children or grandchildren to preserve or save these special toys? Why or why not?

Week 8: Can Johnny Come Out and Play?

Chapter 2 - Early Life Memories (up to about 12 years old.)

This topic deals with your friends and playmates from your earliest memories up through your elementary school years....approximately age 12.

Who were your friends or special playmates during this time? Did you play a lot with your brothers and sisters or with children from other families? What games or activities were you good at? Which ones were most difficult for you? Tell me about some memorable event that happened during your play...Did you ever "cook up" and/or eat anything out of the ordinary?...Ever get lots?...Break any windows? Did you ever discover anything strange or unusual? As you played, what was special that you made or took apart, buried or dug up, read or listened to, painted decorated, etc? Did you fly any kites? Were they "store bought" or did you make them yourself? Who helped you?

Did you sew or cook anything special or important to you at the time? Did you (or you and a friend) ever make a gift for a parent, brother or sister, friend, teacher, etc?

What was the gift and why do you remember it so clearly? In those early years, did you ever go exploring in the woods, on a construction site, etc.? What else did you do with your friends and playmates that was significant to you? In addition to your real friends, did you also have any imaginary friends? What were their names? What did you do with your imaginary friends? Why were they important to you?

Week 7: My Home

Now that we have the basics out of the way, we'll spend the next few weeks focusing on your early life memories...until about 12 years old. Remember back to the old days...

From the time of your birth up until you were approximately 12 years old, where did you live? Do you have any pictures of this house? Where are they? Label them.

Was it a big house or an apartment? What color was it? Was it in a city or in a rural area? Do you know if that house still exists? What happened to it? Did you have a room all to yourself or did you share a room with someone else? Did anyone live with you and your family? Was there a room or a particular piece of furniture that had a special significance to you? Someplace you would go to feel secure?...a chair that was your dad's favorite?...a couch you used to jump on?...A dresser that you marked on, nailed on, or scratched and got you in trouble? Did you have a television? How big was your first TV set? What were your feelings as you watched those first historic shows? Do you remember the first TV program that you ever watched? What was it? Did your family have a radio? Describe it. What are your special memories regarding that radio and the program(s) that you and your family listed to? What about outside the house? Did you have a big or small yard? Did you have a garden? Did you ever try to plant/eat anything unusual from that garden? What games did you play out there? In the future, I will ask more questions about the homes you lived in later in life.

As always, you can respond to these questions or ignore them or focus only some of the questions. Perhaps these questions aren't relevant to you but spark other topics...feel free to write about those as well!

Week 6: Religion

Did you receive a name and a blessing? When? By Whom? Who was present at this event? Do you have a copy of this blessing? Why not include it here? Has this blessing played a significant part in your life? Is there a family tradition followed at the time of blessings? A certain dress that is worn? A family dinner or gathering? Tell me about it.

Were you baptized as a baby?

Were you confirmed?

Was there religious tradition and/or ceremony involved? When and where did these events take place? In a church, a home, a hospital? Tell me about the circumstances of these events in your life.

Week 5: Brothers and Sisters

If there were other children in your family, I'd like to hear about them. Who was the first-born child in your immediate family? What was their name, sex, and date of birth? Who came next: Keep going until you have listed all of your brothers and sisters in your immediate family. Was there anything unusual about the circumstances surrounding the birth of any of your brothers or sisters? I assume that your brothers and sisters were probably very central figures in your memories of growing up and even later in life. As we walk through your life memories, I will ask youmany more questions about your relationships with them. I just wanted to understand the birth order of yoru brothers and sisters. What about pictures of these people? Are their names written on the back to identify them? Where are these pictures located? In a box? Why not place them in an album?

Week 4: Grandparents

Which of your grandparents were still living while you were growing up? Did they live close to you or in another city? Did you have a speicial relationship with any one (or more) of your grandparents? What was his/her name? Why were they so special? What did that gradparent do (or not do) that made you feel especially close to them? Can you think of any stories about your grandparents you would like to record here? Anything interesting? Any funny or favorite stories that thy liked to tell that you would like to record? Were any of your grandparents especially wise in some area? What "sayings" did they use quite often? What "bits of wisdom" did they try to pass on to you or to others? Were they happy or crabby type personalities? Why do you think they were this way? How did their personalities affect your relationship with them?

If your grandparents were here now and could read your "Book" is there something you would like to say to them? Or is there something you would like to thank them for? ... Something you with they had done differently...? If there is anything else youwould like to tell me about your grandparents, please go ahead and type it in now...

Do you have pictures of your grandparents? Where are these pictures located? Are their names written on the back of the pictures to identify them? Ge these pictures out of those boxes and at least file them in some way. I really am a nag!

Week 3: Roots

Do you know if your family name was changed when your ancestors originally came to this country? Did they change it later on for some reason? What reason? What were the names of your first family members to settle in this country? Where did they settle? What was their business, trade, or profession? What brought your original family members to this country? What professions did they bring with them? What language did your ancestors speak? Where exactly did they come from? If there is anything else you would like to tell me about your ancestors, please go ahead and write it in now.

Are you aware of a family crest? Do you have a copy of it? Tell me about the origin of this crest. Where is it kept?

Week 2: Names

I would like you to write “My father’s full name was _____ and my mother’s full name was _____ (maiden name). Is there anything interesting or unusual about their (your) last name that you would like to tell me? (i.e. nationality, etc.) How about your parents first or middle names? Were you named after either of your parents? Were you named after a relative? Which relative? Were they alive when you were born? Were you named after a famous person? Is there anything else that is special or unusual about how your name was selected, who decided on it, etc? Have you been pleased with the name your parents gave you or do you wish they would have chosen some other name? Why?

If you would like to offer some advice to your children (or to other readers of your “Book of Memories” about how a child’s name can affect his/her self-image, please do so now …

Week 1: Birthday and Birth Place

Many years ago at a church activity I was given a copy of prompts to help in the writing of my own "Book of Memories". I don’t know who wrote it and where it came from but I've been wanting to use it for a long time. I've had many stops and starts, but now its for real! I think it will also help to have you, my dear readers, to keep me going.So, lets get to it!

Every week I’ll post a new topic for you to write about. Come back to this post and link it up in the comments. Feel free to write about yourself or your child, parent, etc. You may even wish to ask a family member to write along with you. Enjoy!

Week 1: Birthday & Birth Place
I would like to suggest that you begin your “Book of Memories by writing the phrase: “I was born on …” and then complete the sentence with the day and date of your birth.

Is there anything significant about the day or date you were born? Did your parents tell you about anything unusual or special that occurred that day? If so, tell me about it.

I would like to know where you were born. You might start with the phrase: “I was born in the _____ hospital (or in a house, etc.) in city, state, country.

Was there anything unusual or significant about the circumstances of your birth? Any complications? Any notable people present? Any notable people absent at your birth?

Were you an adopted child? Foster child? When were you adopted? How old were you at the time of your adoption. Have you always known these circumstances? If not when and how did you find out? Do you with this had been handled differently? We’ll go into more questions concerning adoption later on, for now I am interested in your birth circumstances.

If you were not born in this country, have you acquired a new citizenship? When? What is your new citizenship? Is this new citizenship important to you? Why is it important? What does it mean to you?

Later, in the Chapter titled “Early Life Memories”, I will ask about your memories of the home(s) you grew up in. For right now, is there anything else you would like to tell me about the day, date and/or circumstances of your birth?