Questions to ask your dad before it’s too late

Some dads talk easily. Some need a specific question and a quiet room.

1. What did your father (or the man who raised you) get right?
2. What did you learn the hard way at work?
3. What are you proud of that we never clap for?
4. How did you decide to become a parent?
5. What do you wish you had told me when I was sixteen?
6. What still makes you laugh about our family?
7. Who were your closest friends, and what did loyalty look like?
8. What advice would you repeat if I only remembered one sentence?
9. What do you want us to do with the tools, letters, or objects that matter to you?
10. What story about your parents should stay in the family?
11. What do you want us to understand about how you showed love?
12. If we start a Storybook of your life this month, which chapter first?

For the wider list across parents, see questions to ask parents before it is too late.

What questions should I ask my dad before it’s too late?

Ask about the people who raised him, work lessons, pride, love, advice he’d repeat, and which chapter of his life to record first — then keep answers in a Storybook.

What if my dad does not like deep talks?

Start with one concrete story (“What did a weekday look like when you were ten?”). Save whatever he offers. You can return later.