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Interviewing your relatives is a great way to trace your family history.Here are a few tips to prepare for a family interview:

1. Why it’s important to bring questions. Preparing a list of questions ahead of time will give you a better feel of what you’re going to get out of the interview. Make sure you write down all the questions you want to ask before you go. It’s important however to be flexible and let your relative lead the conversation where he or she wants it to go. Some of the best information comes from memories that your interviewee dredges up mid-conversation rather than in response to a question.

2. Bring a tape or video recorder to the interview. This saves your having to frantically scribble notes and lets you relax, develop or display your interest and really get a flavor of what the interviewee is saying. Always ask the interviewee’s permission before you start recording. If they agree that video recording would be better, I recommend taking this route. That way you create a fuller record of the interview because you can see the expressions on the interviewees’ face as he or she talks. Your children, their children, and generations to come can view these when they get older.

3. Use visual aids to help them recall events. Photos and other pieces of information can sometimes help a person jog their memory of a particular story or event. Sometimes the conversation will hit a wall, and it’s a perfect time to bring another visual aid out. Thanks to the fact that copying photos is a lot easier than it once was, you can take copies of your old photos using a scanner, print off as many copies as your need and keep the originals safe at home.

4. Recognize and respect the feelings of the interviewee If you notice your interviewee is trying to withhold information on a particular event, don’t push the issue. Maybe they just aren’t ready to discuss the past, or they cannot recall that particular moment. If you notice this happening, just ask for an interview on another date or ask a different family member.You don’t want to cause any ill feeling.

5. Be grateful.-5. Make sure you show gratitude. Thank your relatives for their time and patience after the interviews. Also, invite them to keep up with your family history research by sending them new information when you get it. Most will say yes, and the easiest way to keep everyone informed is by learning to create your family tree online. One of the best family history sites to utilize is Mundia.com. The reason this resource is so useful is that you can invite your family members to collaborate on your family tree and add additional family information that they might remember. They can also upload photos, add documents, or even give a little input to help further some of the stories.

So if you ever though history was as boring as can be, when you trace your family history you might change your mind.

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