What to Write in a Book for Your Grandchild
As a grandparent, your life is full of stories and wisdom for your grandchildren. Chances are, you would love to pass those stories along to them. The best way to do this is to make a book. Your next question is probably, “How?” Or maybe: “Is it difficult?” Fortunately, there are a few different ways to do it, none of them too difficult at all!
You can use a company like Storyworth, where you answer one question a week by sending an email to your loved one. At the end of the year, your stories will be bound into a keepsake book. Additionally, you can create a book on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing and order personal copies for your family without publishing it. Or you can use an old-fashioned notebook and tell your story. Either way, your family will appreciate learning more about you.
Not sure what to write?
No worries! Here are some ideas for what to write in a book for your grandchild.
Where You Were Born
Talk about the day you were born and where you were born. Did something happen the day you were born like a big snowstorm or a natural disaster? Did your parents ever tell you any funny stories about the day you were born? If not, that’s okay! You can still document pertinent facts, like the time, place, and date. It’s a great way to preserve parts of your legacy for your grandchildren and the generations to come.
Family History
And speaking of preserving your legacy, write about your family history. For example, where did your parents grow up? How did they meet? Do they have brothers and sisters? What were your grandparents like? Talk about where your parents came from and their heritage. Document every detail, no matter how small or seemingly mundane. Things that might seem irrelevant to you now could mean a lot to future generations.
Stories about Your Childhood
Your grandkids will love reading stories about your childhood! Discuss where you grew up and what it was like. What were some of your favorite things as a child? Best childhood memory? What was Christmas like for you as a child? Did you have any special holiday traditions? What kind of hard times do you remember experiencing as a child? Who was your childhood best friend? What were your favorite books, movies, and music as a child?
Stories about Your Teenage Years
Everyone struggles during their teenage years, so sharing your stories will be valuable to your teen grandchildren. Write about where you went to school, who your friends were, when you got your first car, your first crush, your first heartbreak, your first job, etc. Revisit the highs and lows of those wonderful, confusing years. What was your favorite soda? Did you attend your senior prom? How did you and your friends like to spend your time together? Jot down your memories and let your grandkids know that even though they were born a long time after you, teenage struggles are universal.
Life Lessons You’ve Learned
Share all the lessons you have learned throughout your life. Things like being grateful for what you have, embracing change, learning from failure, or whatever applies to you and your life story. Maybe you didn’t learn from your mistakes, but others might, so be sure to include one or two of those, as well! Even if your grandchild never faces some of the situations you have, they’ll still appreciate your wisdom. And, of course, learning more about the challenges and situations that shaped you into the grandparent they know and love.
Discuss the Best Days of Your Life
What have been some of the best days of your life? Was there a time when you wanted a job badly and you got it? The day you married your spouse? When your first child was born? The day you started your own business? There are all kinds of scenarios that make a day the best day of your life. Your grandkids will enjoy reading about yours and anticipating similar days in their future.
Talk About the Worst Days of Your Life
On the other side of the coin, not all days are good either. While it’s something none of us want for our grandchildren, we need to prepare them for the reality that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. So, write about the worst days of your life, too. More importantly, share how you got through them. This could be the day your divorce was finalized. When you were in a bad accident or natural disaster. The day you got fired, or any other scenario. Your grandkids will learn a lot about what you went through and how you handled the situation. Hopefully, it’ll prepare them for the worst as you hope and pray for the best in their lives.
Share Some Advice
Take a few pages and write some random advice for your grandchildren. This advice can highlight different topics or one topic in particular. It doesn’t have to be profound. It can be something as simple as reminding them to pursue their dreams or to put their trust in things other than what this world offers. Even a piece of small advice can mean a lot to your grandchild.
Pets You Owned Over the Years
Everyone loves stories about pets and animals, and your grandkids are no exception! If you lived on a farm, you can write about your favorite farm animals and the scenarios you may have gotten yourselves into. Tell them about your cat that always climbed the tree once a week and how the fire department had to come and get it down or about your dog who always would steal part of dinner when no one was looking. Kids love funny, heartwarming stories like that, especially when they involve four-legged family members.
Stories about Your Favorite Relative
Do you have a favorite relative, living or deceased? Then write about them. Talk about how your Aunt Dot always let you eat cookies before dinner or how Uncle Shane always let you stay up past your bedtime. Of course, bending the rules and letting you have fun isn’t what always makes a great relative. Maybe they were there for you during a difficult time or gave great advice.
What School Was Like in Your Day
Next, discuss what school was like in your day. What were your teachers like? Favorite subject? Least favorite subject? Did you walk to school or ride the bus? What happened if you broke a rule? What kind of student were you? Were you the teacher’s pet, the class clown, or somewhere in between? Your grandkids will love hearing about your school life, even as they dread their own!
Your First Home
Write about buying your first home and share more insight into the process. What did the house look like? How much did it cost? Was it a good home, or did it have problems? Talk about your favorite and least favorite parts of the house. If you have any interesting stories about the house, write them down, too! Include pictures if you have them. Kids love looking at old photos, and visual aid might really bring your stories and facts to life.
Secrets
If you have any fun secrets to share, include them! Secrets don’t always have to be devastating or insidious. In fact, you should probably keep the most salacious secrets to yourself. Your secret could be how you snuck out one night to swim in the creek or when you wrote an anonymous letter to your crush. Keep it light and fun and give your grandkids a tiny glimpse into the archives of your heart. We’re certain they’ll love you all the more for it.
Your Hopes and Dreams for Them
You love your grandchildren with all your heart, so write down your hopes and dreams for them. In doing so, write some encouraging words so they will be brave enough to follow those dreams. Encourage them to dream big and pursue their dreams. Of course, remind them that it’s okay if their dreams don’t work out the way they hope. Failure is an event, not a destination. Also, make sure to tell them that you’re proud of them no matter what.
All the Reasons You Love Them
It’s important to let your grandkids know how much you love them and why you love them. They’re all unique individuals and will enjoy reading your perspective. Maybe they’ll even compare what you said about them versus what you said about their siblings or cousins. That’s why it’s so important to personalize your list of reasons for each grandchild. This alone can turn a simple book into a keepsake they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.
Your Favorite Memories with Them
Of course, it goes without saying that you should write down your favorite memories with them! It could be a vacation or road trip that you took together. Maybe you volunteered at their school for the day. Going to the beach or the pool together. Or it could be something simple like hanging out together at your house, going for ice cream one afternoon, or going out for lunch. Memories don’t have to be grandiose—they just need to be great.
Your Favorite Songs
Music unites us all through the generations, so make a list of your favorite songs or your favorite artists and music groups throughout the years. Your grandkids will enjoy looking up and streaming music from your era. Of course, they’ll be very surprised if you leave some tunes from today on the list! Want to make this experience even more special? Then consider also creating a playlist on Spotify or other music streaming services containing all the songs on your list!
Your Favorite Movies
There are so many great movies throughout the generations. An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr anyone? Or perhaps its more contemporary counterpart Sleepless in Seattle with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? Make a list of your favorite movies, actors, and actresses throughout the years. Also, include why you liked the movie and what it meant to you. If your favorite movies are age-appropriate, you can even consider having a movie night and watching a few flicks with your grandkids.
Your Favorite Books
If your grandkids are bookworms, they will love reading a list of your favorite books over your lifetime. Talk about your favorite authors, favorite series, and stand-alone books. If a book touched you deeply or resonated with you, explain why. Who knows? You may open their eyes to a new author or series that they will love, and it could blossom into a new way to bond with your grandchild!
Takeaway
Writing a memory book for your grandchildren is one of the most precious things you can do. So many people wish they knew these things about their grandparents, but they might have passed away before they got to share them. Don’t repeat their mistakes! Instead, share all your precious memories with your grandkids now and leave them a keepsake they’ll carry with them for a lifetime. It’s truly one of the most beautiful legacies you can leave.
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Originally published September 17, 2024
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