33 questions
Everyday Life
The ordinary days, small rituals, and daily textures of a life — often the most vivid memories of all.
Strangely, it's often the ordinary days we remember most vividly — the meals, the small rituals, the sounds of a house, the way a holiday smelled. These questions about everyday life capture the texture of a time that's already gone, the details no history book records.
They are the easiest place to start: low-pressure, warm, and full of unexpected detail. Ask one over a cup of tea and see where it goes. Recorded by voice with Storykept, the rhythm of an ordinary day from fifty years ago becomes something a family can hear, not just imagine.
Walk me through an ordinary day when you were a child — from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to sleep.
What did your family's kitchen smell like in the morning when you were growing up?
Tell me about a meal from your childhood that you still think about — who made it, and what made it so good?
How did you get to school each day, and what do you remember about that journey?
What jobs or chores were you given around the house as a child? Tell me about one you remember well.
Describe the shop or market where your family bought everyday things when you were young.
When you had a little money of your own as a child, what was the first thing you'd spend it on?
What did you do with your afternoons as a child, once the day's work or school was done?
Is there a song that takes you straight back to your teenage years? Tell me about a moment it brings back.
How did you listen to music when you were young, and where would you go to hear it?
Describe an outfit you loved to wear when you were young. What made you feel good in it?
What was the style everyone wanted for their hair when you were young, and did you go along with it?
Take me through a typical day off when you were a young adult — how did you like to spend it?
What was the first meal you learned to cook for yourself once you were living on your own?
Tell me about a piece of technology you once relied on every day that has since disappeared.
How did you stay in touch with people before mobile phones? Tell me about one of those calls or letters.
What did your family gather around to watch or listen to in the evenings when you were small?
Tell me about a small, everyday pleasure that has always made an ordinary day better for you.
What sounds filled the street or the place where you grew up?
Describe a regular family meal where everyone came together. Who sat where, and what was on the table?
What was a trip to buy food or supplies like in those days? Walk me through it.
What did you drink to start your morning over the years, and how did you take it?
How did your home keep warm in winter when you were a child? Tell me what that felt like.
How did you get to work for most of your life, and what was that daily trip like?
Tell me about an everyday object you owned as a young adult that you were proud of.
What games did you and the other children play to pass the time? Describe one you loved.
Was there a programme on the radio or television you never missed when you were young? Tell me about it.
Was there a food you only got at a certain time of year? Tell me what it was like when it finally came around.
What did bedtime look like in your home when you were a child?
Tell me about a pet you've had. What were they like?
What are some of your favorite sounds?
Tell me about the best gift you ever received. Who gave it to you?
Describe your ideal day now, from the moment you wake up.
Want these answered in their own voice — and kept forever?
Storykept guides your family through these questions by voice. No writing, no pressure. Free to start.