AI Guide: Helping Children Talk With Relatives

Helping Children Talk With Relatives: A Simple Christmas Interview Activity Using AI

Many families meet relatives during the holidays whom children see only once or twice a year. Conversations can feel unsure at first, especially for younger children who are still building confidence in speaking and listening. A gentle way to support these moments is to use an AI tool such as ChatGPT to create simple, child-friendly interview questions that spark real connection.

This activity helps children prepare for conversations in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. It also supports speaking, listening, and cultural learning. Parents choose a topic that fits the moment, such as our traditions, my community, or what life was like when you were my age. The AI then produces questions the child can use to guide a short family interview.

This idea works beautifully at Christmas, but parents can return to it throughout the year. It is a helpful approach for school projects that involve family history, community studies, or cultural celebrations. It also works whenever extended family comes together for birthdays, reunions, or special events.

The aim is not to script a conversation. Instead, this gives children a starting point. They feel prepared, relatives enjoy being asked about their experiences, and families often discover stories that might not have been shared otherwise.

You will find the detailed prompt with placeholders for your family details at the end of this guide.

How to Use This Activity at Home

Before the visit

• Let children choose the topic so they feel ownership.
• Read through the questions together and practise two or three.
• Remind children that relatives may answer in their own way and that there is no single correct conversation.

During the visit

• Treat the interview as a light moment, not a performance.
• Children can hold a notebook or card with their favourite questions.
• Relatives often enjoy storytelling when they know a child is genuinely curious.

Afterwards

• Ask your child what they found interesting or surprising.
• Save favourite answers in a small family notebook. Over time, this becomes a memory collection.
• Encourage your child to share what they learned at school or during another family gathering.

This small activity builds confidence, strengthens relationships, and celebrates the stories that make each family unique. Many parents find that once they try it, children begin requesting new topics of their own.

Prompt

Below is a prompt parents can use to generate the questions. You can copy, paste, and fill in the placeholders. It creates a short list of friendly questions suitable for children aged 5–11, with options to simplify or extend depending on your child’s needs.

Parent Prompt (fill in the brackets):

You are helping me prepare my child (age [child age]) for a short holiday interview with a relative they see only occasionally. Please create 8–10 child-friendly questions based on this topic: “[family topic]”. Please keep the questions warm, simple, and easy for a child to ask. Include a mix of memory questions, feeling questions, and story questions. After the list, provide: 1) A short tip for my child on being a good listener. 2) A gentle reminder for adults about giving supportive answers to young children. 3) Optional extension questions for older children. 4) A closing activity the child and relative can complete together, such as drawing something, choosing a favourite memory, or creating a tiny tradition to continue next year.

Remember to update the placeholders for specific details relevant to your family: [child age], and [family topic]. Possible topics include our traditions, our family history, growing up, or our community.