Family gatherings during the holidays are opportunities to gather family information such as stories and pictures. Since these opportunities may come only once a year, it is crucial to approach family members carefully. The trick is to collect information without being a pest.
Melanie Mayo, Family History Daily editor, wrote a fun article, “8 Ways to Gather Family History Without Hijacking a Holiday Event.” Mayo states, “How can we broach the topic of sharing family history gently, and make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.” Mayo’s simple and fun ways to gather information are:
1. Ask for a little, Get a Lot - Make sure you bring a recording device to record the stories that are shared. Mayo mentions that we should ask “every person in the room to share one memory of their childhood and/or one family story they’ve been told.”
2. Make Sharing Super Simple – An interview sheet with “no more than 5 questions” passed out to everyone at the gathering is a great way to collect information, especially if the questions are kept simple.
3. Create a Casual Conversation – Photos are a great way to get the stories flowing. Don’t bring a lot, just a few. Make sure they are interesting and a chance to get answers to questions such as who the man in the back row is.
4. Give the Gift of Sharing. My Life’s Story are books with personal history prompts that will create a lasting family keepsake — a great gift to give to the older members of the family showing that you care about their story.
5. Look Beyond the Obvious – Bring cards to gather family recipes. Even asking stories about family heirlooms is important history gathering.
6. Be Prepared for Anything – Make sure you have a scanning app on your phone, and you know how to use it or bring a Flip-Pal portable scanning. Someone may have photos there you have never seen before.
7. Ask for Verification – If there is information that you are not sure about, this is the time get it cleared up.
8. Lay the Groundwork for Future Sharing – Collecting contact information is a great way to contact family members that may be interested in sharing information.
A family gathering is a great place to gather family history information and going about it in a fun tactful way will bring you great results.
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