Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
お子さんを育てていた頃のお話を少し聞かせていただけますか？どんなことが思い出に残っていますか？ — Could you tell me a little about when you were raising your children? What memories stand out for you? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N3)
You
お子さんを育てていた頃のお話を少し聞かせていただけますか？どんなことが思い出に残っていますか？
おこさんをそだてていたころのおはなしをすこしきかせていただけますか？どんなことがおもいでにのこっていますか？
Could you tell me a little about when you were raising your children? What memories stand out for you?
Romaji: Okosan wo sodatete ita koro no ohanashi wo sukoshi kikasete itadakemasu ka? Donna koto ga omoide ni nokotte imasu ka? / Reply Romaji: Ano koro wa ne, taihen datta kedo tanoshikatta wa. Kodomotachi ga chiisai koro wa mainichi nigiyaka de ne.
Reply
あの頃はね、大変だったけど楽しかったわ。子供たちが小さい頃は毎日賑やかでね。
あのころはね、たいへんだったけどたのしかったわ。こどもたちがちいさいころはまいにちにぎやかでね。
Those times were hard but so much fun. When the kids were little, every day was lively.
Gesture & etiquette
Sit in a relaxed, open posture and lean slightly forward. As the senior speaks, use warm affirmations: 「そうだったんですね」(Is that right) and 「それは素敵ですね」(How wonderful). Child-rearing memories are rich with pride and love — be prepared for a long, joyful conversation.
Framing the question around 'what memories stand out' rather than asking for facts allows the senior to share what was emotionally meaningful to them. These conversations build the trust and rapport needed for effective care relationships — invest genuinely in listening even when it feels unstructured.