Getting together with family during the holiday season can be wonderfully fun! It can also be quite eye opening. Sometimes, family members notice an ever-widening gap between generations, with the children hunched over their phones and iPads while Grandma sits by the sidelines just watching. If you’d like to get the whole family together and enjoy each other’s company, and make some memories, Visiting Angels of California recommends creating a memory book of a cherished senior’s lifetime legacy.

The first step is to decide whether you’d like to record the memories in writing, as an audio recording or on video (or some combination of each). Then put together the questions you’d like to ask. These can be compiled by all family members, from the youngest to the oldest. Here are a few examples to get you started:

• What’s your favorite holiday memory?
• What was your first job?
• What was school like when you were growing up?
• How did Grandpa ask you to marry him?
• What are some important values you possess that you would like to see continued in the family?
• What is one thing that you would have liked to have done, that you did not have a chance to do?
• Tell us about your favorite trip.

Kids can get involved by interviewing Grandma or Grandpa, asking questions about old pictures, or video the interview using their phone or tablet.

Getting the family together during the holidays can be both fun and challenging, especially when blending multiple generations. Visiting Angels’ Fremont elder care providers can help your entire family celebrate this season. For more tips on involving seniors in holiday activities, contact us at 510-284-0000 or (408) 735-0977.