50 Questions to Ask Your Mom (Fun, Meaningful and Surprising)

Most of us think we know our moms. We know her cooking, her sayings and the face she makes when we are late. But ask what she wanted to be at fifteen, or what scared her most before you were born, and you may realize there is a whole person behind the role you know. Good questions are the easiest way to meet her.

This list has 50 questions to ask your mom, grouped by mood. Use them on a phone call, at the kitchen table, on a drive or over a holiday meal. Nobody needs to answer all of them. Pick a few that make you curious and see where the conversation goes.

How to ask your mom questions (so she actually opens up)

A few small habits make the difference between an interview and a good talk:

• Pick a relaxed moment. Cooking together, walking or driving works better than a formal sit-down, because there is no pressure to perform.
• Ask one question, then listen. The best part is usually the story that comes after the first answer. Follow up with "What happened next?" or "How did that feel?"
• Share your own answers too. If you only ask, it feels like a test. Trade answers and it feels like a conversation.
• Skip what she skips. If she waves a question away, move on. You can come back another day.
• Write it down or record it (with her permission). Her stories are worth keeping.

Fun and lighthearted questions to ask your mom

Start here if you are not sure how she will react. These are easy to answer and often lead to bigger stories.

1. What is the funniest thing I did as a little kid?
2. If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
3. What song makes you get up and dance, no matter what?
4. What is your guilty pleasure show?
5. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
6. If you won a free week anywhere, where would you go?
7. What is one food you could eat every week for a year?
8. Which of your sayings do you think I will repeat when I'm older?
9. What is the silliest argument we ever had?
10. If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be?

Questions about her childhood and growing up

These are the questions that make you see your mom as a kid, which is often the most surprising picture of all.

11. What is your earliest memory?
12. What was your favorite thing to do after school?
13. What was your childhood bedroom like?
14. Who was your best friend growing up, and are you still in touch?
15. What did you want to be when you grew up?
16. What was your favorite meal your own mom cooked?
17. Was there a rule at home you thought was unfair?
18. What was the best gift you ever got as a child?
19. What did you and your friends do for fun?
20. What is something you did as a teenager that you never told your parents?

Questions about her life before and after becoming a mom

21. What was your first job, and what did it teach you?
22. What was it like when you found out you were going to be a mom?
23. What did you worry about most in the early days?
24. What is something you gave up that you'd happily do again?
25. What did you enjoy most about my first years?
26. What surprised you most about parenting?
27. Is there something you wish you had done differently as a parent?
28. What is a moment as a mom you will never forget?
29. What hobby or dream did you put on hold, and would you pick it up again?
30. How has your idea of a good life changed over the years?

Meaningful questions about advice and values

These need a quieter moment, but they often lead to the answers people remember longest.

31. What is the best advice you have ever received?
32. What would you tell your younger self?
33. What do you think makes a good friend?
34. What lesson took you the longest to learn?
35. How do you handle it when things are not going well?
36. What are you most proud of in your life so far?
37. What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?
38. What traditions from your family do you hope we keep?
39. What do you want me to know that you don't say often enough?
40. What are you looking forward to in the next few years?

"How well do you know me?" questions for your mom

Flip the interview. These questions test how much she knows about you today, and they are the base of a fun mom quiz.

41. What is my favorite meal?
42. What did I want to be when I grew up?
43. How do I relax after a long day?
44. What do I order when I can't decide at a restaurant?
45. What am I most proud of?
46. What do I do when I'm stressed?
47. What is my biggest dream?
48. What is the one thing I could never live without?
49. What subject did I like best at school?
50. What is my favorite family tradition?

Play it as a quiz instead

If you want to turn the last ten questions into a game, try our free Mom Quiz. You answer 10 questions about yourself, get a link and send it to your mom. She guesses what you picked, and her score shows up on your scoreboard. Dad, siblings and grandparents can take the same quiz so you can find out who really knows you best.

It also works the other way around: ask your mom to answer your questions about her, then guess her answers yourself. If you like this kind of game with siblings, take a look at our list of questions to ask your sister too.

Final thoughts

You do not need a perfect question. A genuine "tell me about that" is often enough. Whatever your mom says, the time spent asking is the point, and the answers have a way of becoming the stories you retell for years.