Questions You’ll Wish You Asked: A Time Capsule Journal for Grandparents and Grandchildren

This journal deepens the grandparent/grandchild bond while creating a keepsake for when conversation is no longer possible. With journaling questions for a grandparent such as: “If you could give your eighteen-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?” “What are your favorite parts of being a grandparent?” “If you could choose your last words to me, what would they be?” These questions will transport you from the daily routine into a time when the ordinary has been rendered sacred. Whether you’re a grandparent looking to leave a legacy to your grandchild, or a grandchild recording memories of your grandparent, make time for the questions you’ll later wish you asked: your future self will thank you. Commonly asked questions: Who is this journal for? The journal provides over 100 questions for a grandparent to answer for their grandchild. It makes a perfect gift for the first-time grandparent of a new baby, keepsake gift for an aging grandparent, and thoughtful present for grandparents of all stages in between. Some adult grandchildren sit with their grandparents and fill out the journal while asking the questions: this invites thoughtful conversations, generational connection, and intimacy. Others choose to purchase the journal for themselves, fill it out, and later present it as a gift to their grandchildren. This journal can be an especially thoughtful gift for a grandparent who has lost their spouse, or adult children whose parents may be struggling with early signs of memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s. Asking these questions can jog a parent’s memory, inspire thoughtful conversation, or simply provide a space to appreciate the grandparent who still remains. What if I have multiple grandchildren? Do I need multiple journals? Most of the questions in this journal are about the grandparent personally, but there are also questions particular to each grandchild. For this reason, most grandparents choose to have one journal for each grandchild, this also eliminates the need to “choose” who eventually receives the journal. However, it’s also possible to answer these particular questions separately for each grandchild within one journal. (One could split an answer on the 6×9 journal page provided, and use the blank pages included at the end of the journal if more room is needed.)