A free, printable reflection aid
Family conversation worksheet
Make room for a story, a lesson and the words someone wants to leave with you.
Free, print-first and no signup. There are no answer fields, recordings or uploads on this page. Write on paper and choose where to keep it.
Download the 3-page PDFChoose A4 in your print settings, or use your browser’s Print menu. Check the preview before printing. You can also read the prompts aloud without printing anything.
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A conversation, not an interview to finish
For a conversation with a willing adult relative or someone you regard as family. Pick one or two prompts. Listen in the language they prefer, leave room for silence, and stop whenever either of you wants to.
Agree before you begin
Explain why you are asking and who, if anyone, might see the notes. Ask before writing or recording. Skipping a question, keeping something private, or changing the subject are all welcome. Choosing to talk is not permission to publish.
A place
Which place from your life would you like me to picture? What was an ordinary day there like?
A person
Who taught you something you still carry? What did they do, rather than just say?
A practice
Was there a meal, song, saying or family habit you would like remembered?
A choice
Is there a decision you are comfortable talking about? What mattered to you at the time?
A lesson
What has experience changed your mind about? It is fine if the answer is still unfinished.
A possibility
What would you like the next generation to feel free to discover for themselves?
These are new editorial prompts, not additions to Matt’s original numbered insights. There is no right answer and no requirement to share a difficult experience.
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Keep their words and your thoughts apart
Use a name or private label you both agree on. Mark remembered wording as approximate rather than making it look like a verbatim quotation.
Speaker / listener / date / place (only what you both want recorded)
The prompt we chose
Their words — note whether exact or approximate
My later reflection — my interpretation, not their statement
Details to check — uncertain dates, names or differing memories
Leave uncertainty visible. Do not fill a gap with a guess or an AI-generated detail.
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Decide together what happens next
Read the notes back if they would like that. Ask what needs correcting, removing or leaving private. Do not include private information about other people just because it arose in conversation.
Corrections or things to leave out
Who may see these notes, and for what purpose?
Where will we keep them, and who will hold the copy?
What we need to ask again before sharing anything
Private notes, family circulation, public publication, recordings and use in an AI service are different choices. Discuss each separately; this worksheet does not authorise any of them. Do not upload another person’s story to the Compass.
This is an informal reflection aid, not a legal consent form or a professionally reviewed oral-history protocol. It does not promise confidentiality after material has been shared.
Keep listening. Keep the context.
Oral History Australia identifies informed consent, planning and preservation as parts of good oral-history practice. For a formal recording or publication project, start with its practice guidance and seek appropriate advice. This independent worksheet is not endorsed by that organisation.
Editorial worksheet · 20 September 2026 · Review draft.