Dad Tell Me Your Story Journal: 150 Questions to Save His Life Story

Dad tell me your story is a guided journal you print at home and give to your father, so everything he has lived, learned and remembers about the family finally gets written down. The 50 undated pages hold 150 guided questions across ten chapters. You also get a family tree, pages about where the family comes from and its keepsakes, a page for skills he can pass on, space for photos, letters he writes to his child, gift instructions and tags and bookmarks to cut out. It comes in US Letter and A4 PDF as an instant download, and nothing is shipped.

How dad tell me your story keeps his memories safe

The questions trace his whole life: the street where he grew up, school, his first job, falling in love, becoming a father, his career, hobbies, family roots and the lessons life taught him. Each question has four lines, enough for a quick answer or a longer tale. Pages for things he can teach you, his hobbies and projects and the rules he lives by record the hands-on side of Dad that rarely makes it onto paper, from repairs to his favorite sayings.

Page 2 explains how to make the printed pages into a gift using a hole punch, ribbon or twine, and the last page has bookmarks and gift tags with precise cut lines. It also works beautifully as a shared project, with you writing while he talks.

Who this dad memory book is for

• Grown sons and daughters searching for a meaningful birthday, retirement or just because gift for their father
• Families who want Dad's stories, skills and family history captured in his own handwriting
• Dads who would rather tell a story than write one, while you hold the pen
• Stepdads, bonus dads, uncles and other father figures with a lifetime of stories worth keeping

Design and printing

• Calm, minimalist style: white pages with soft blush pink accents that need little ink
• Roomy margins, so your home printer will not clip any edges
• Portrait pages in two sizes: US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches, and A4, 210 by 297 mm
• Undated, so he can begin whenever he likes and answer in any order
• A gender-neutral look with soft gray-pink lines and plenty of writing space
• Gift tags and bookmarks are true to size (2 by 6 inches and 2 by 2.75 inches) with crop marks in both files
• Keep it in a ring binder, clip it to a clipboard or have a copy shop spiral bind it

Inside the dad tell me your story journal: 50 pages

1. 1Cover including a page index and lines for whose story this is and who gave it
2. 2Gift instructions for whoever is giving the journal: 4 illustrated steps from printing and binding to cutting, wrapping and handing it over, a diagram for tying it with ribbon, a checklist and a list of supplies
3. 3Dear Dad, a lined page for your note to him, 4 quick tips and 6 ways to complete the journal
4. 4All about Dad, a photo spot, 9 basic facts (nickname and jobs he has held among them), three words that describe him, what makes a good day, something he can fix or build, his go-to meal, song, place and saying, and one thing people misjudge about him
5. 5Our family tree, with space for both sets of his grandparents, his mom and dad, his brothers and sisters (3 rows), Dad and his partner, then 5 rows below for his kids, their partners and the grandchildren
6. 6My life at a glance, a chart moving decade by decade from birth to his 80s and beyond, 5 big moments numbered in order and the best period of his life
7. 7 to 9Chapter 1, Childhood, questions 1 to 15 spread five to a page with four writing lines each, covering his neighborhood, things he built or took apart, a beloved bike or toy and his childhood dream job
8. 10 to 12Chapter 2, School days, questions 16 to 30, with five questions per page and four lines to answer, about a teacher or coach who made a difference, his closest friend, sports teams, the music of his high school years and what came after graduation
9. 13 to 15Questions 31 to 45 make up Chapter 3, First job and leaving home, five per page with four answer lines, on that first paycheck, his first car and first place of his own, memories of service and early lessons about money
10. 16 to 18Questions 46 to 60 form Chapter 4, Our love story, five to a page with room for four lines, about how he met Mom or the great love of his life, their first date, the proposal and how they stay a good team
11. 19 to 21Chapter 5, Becoming a dad, questions 61 to 75, five per page, four lines each, recalling your birthday, holding you the first time, the jokes you share and what being a father taught him
12. 22 to 24Questions 76 to 90 belong to Chapter 6, Work and career, laid out five per page with four lines apiece, on all the jobs he has done, problems he solved, his favorite boss and his advice on working life
13. 25 to 27Questions 91 to 105 fill Chapter 7, Hobbies and passions, five on each page with four lines, about his longest running hobby, the teams he roots for, things he built by hand and his ideal weekend
14. 28 to 30Questions 106 to 120 make up Chapter 8, Family history, five per page and four lines for each answer, on where the family started, his grandparents, the legends, heirlooms and sayings passed down
15. 31 to 33Questions 121 to 135 form Chapter 9, Lessons learned, five to a page with four lines each, on mistakes that were worth it, courage, what carried him through difficult seasons and how he hopes to be remembered
16. 34 to 36Questions 136 to 150 close the book as Chapter 10, Advice for me, five per page with four lines under each, on money, friendship, tough days, finding your way and the words he wants you to hear today
17. 37Favorites then and now, a chart of 15 rows (meal, drink, song, film, sport, team, car, season and more) comparing his younger years with today
18. 38Things I can teach you, four how-to boxes where he lists up to 6 steps in order and one thing to be careful about
19. 39Hobbies and projects, a log of 12 rows (when, the hobby or project, what he made or did, what he learned), his proudest project and one still on his list
20. 40Photo memories, 4 spots for taped-in photos with when, who and the story behind each
21. 41Photos of us, one picture from years ago and one from now, plus what he sees when he looks at them
22. 42Places I have lived, a chart of 11 rows for years, town or city, the home and who shared it
23. 43Our family roots, where the family began, old family names and nicknames, a keepsakes chart of 7 rows and one family story that must always be passed on
24. 44Rules I live by, 20 numbered lines with prompts to help him begin
25. 45My hopes for you, covering family, work, money, friendship, health and adventure, plus the one thing he would give you
26. 46Letter to my child, lined space, a line to sign and ideas for what to say
27. 47A letter for later, meant for another child, a grandchild or a big occasion, with a to open on line
28. 48Questions from my child, 4 boxes recording who asked, the date, the question and Dad's reply
29. 49More stories, 2 lined boxes with lines for the story and roughly when it happened
30. 50Gift tags and bookmarks to cut out with precise crop marks: 2 bookmarks of 2 by 6 inches (one a chapters done checklist, one a keep your place design), 2 gift tags of 2 by 2.75 inches and a 3 step diagram to cut, punch and attach

Files in your download

• Dad Tell Me Your Story Journal, US Letter PDF (50 pages)
• Dad Tell Me Your Story Journal, A4 PDF (50 pages)
• Read Me First PDF with quick printing tips

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Good to know

• This journal is a PDF designed to be printed, not a hyperlinked digital planner. You can still open it in many note taking apps and handwrite on it.
• It is a digital product only, so nothing will arrive in the mail.
• Colors on paper may look slightly different from your screen.
• The files are for your personal use. Sharing, reselling or redistributing them is not allowed.
• Digital files cannot be returned. If a file will not open or prints incorrectly, email us and we will help quickly.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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