One of the most valuable gifts a parent can give is the sense of family connection passed on through their stories. Too often a family’s history is lost when stories aren’t shared or preserved. Recording your parents stories ensures they will be around for your children. In doing so, not only are the facts preserved, but also the detail and richness that are only revealed when a story is delivered in person.
Below are three ways you can record your parents stories:
Recording a Parents Stories
~ Written Record ~
Like the notes in an old diary, a parent can record their stories in a journal or memoir. While they may not have the flair of a Laura Ingalls Wilder, writing one’s own stories at least ensures that stories are told in first person and are as accurate and detailed as can be remembered. A journal also has a special charm if written in a parent’s own handwriting.
Hiring a professional can take a memoir to a whole new level. A professional will conduct an interview to collect background information and then organize the stories and clarify points so they make more sense. They will also ask questions to prompt stories a grandparent may not have thought of on their own.
~ Audio Recording ~
Recording a parents stories in an audio recording has the advantage of preserving their voice and demeanor. Children who never met your parent, love to hear their voice just as much as looking at an old photo. If a child knew your parent but has since lost them, hearing their voice again can often be as comforting as spending time with them.
These days consumer recording devices are easy to find and use. A professional, however, can ensure your parent’s voice is clear and distraction free as they recount their memories. They can also transfer old scratchy audio off of cassette tapes and preserve it in a format that will not deteriorate with time.
~ Video Recording ~
Video adds a whole new dimension to a parents stories by preserving personality, facial expressions and voice, along with priceless information. Woven together with family photos, this captivating video memoir brings a parents stories and family history to life in a way the written word often struggles to do.
Families can record a parent using a smart phone, tablet or consumer video recorder. Or they may prefer to hire a professional to create a truly heirloom quality video memoir.
However you decide to record your parents stories, preserving them today will give your children and generations beyond a chance to know them as you do.
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For questions to ask your parents to learn more about their life story and your family history, visit my post: ‘Legacy Interview Questions‘.
Let Family Tree Video Help You
Preserve Your Stories
Family stories connect generations and keep a family’s history alive and meaningful. Preserving them ensures younger generations know their history and the people who came before them.
Family Tree Video preserve family stories in captivating Legacy Videos. These include Family History Videos, Video Biographies, Heirloom Videos and more.
To learn about preserving your own stories, contact us or visit FamilyTreeVideo.com!
About Susan Saunders
Susan is a Legacy Video producer and owner of Family Tree Video, preserving family stories and history for younger generations to know since 2008.
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“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children.
One is roots, and the other, wings.” H. S. Carter