Do you ever ask your parents questions? Like what is their perception of life and death. Or questions about their lives when they were teens. How they met their first boyfriend or girlfriend; how they met your mother or father; questions about their dreams, their likes and dislikes or what they do to make themselves better people.

Well if you do, I’m sure you have learnt a lot from them. Here are some more questions I thought you should ask your parents.

Here are the thirteen questions to ask your parents

1. Why they gave you the names you have.
2. What they thought of you when you were born.
3. What they are doing to ensure you become a successful and responsible adult.
4. What they think you are doing that makes it hard for them to help you become a better, successful and responsible human being.
5. How they deal (or dealt) with relationships.
6. What they want to achieve in life.
7. What makes a person both good (of character) and successful.
8. Ask them if they love you.
9. What they want you to do with your life.
10. Why they do compare you to other people at times.
11. Why they can’t let you make a particular decision on your own.
12. The point they thought you were almost becoming a spoilt child.
13. If they can possibly forgive you for your past transgressions.

Sometimes I like saying that a person can just be but the opposite of what they say they are. If your parents give you honest answers to the above questions, you may learn a new thing or two that you didn’t know about yourself or your parents.

So don’t just go throwing questions at your mama or dad then rush to the living room to catch the next champion’s league match or switch on the TV.

Clear your mind of any distractions before you ask them the questions

Do your best to not let the things you learn tear your family (like asking the questions when you are angry at your mother or father and just looking for ways to accuse them of something or blame them for one of your misfortunes).

Let the answers you receive act as tips you can use to bring you and your parents closer.

You’ll probably learn of new challenges to overcome from the answers that they give out. Some of these challenges are what will determine whether you’ll be able to work your way into becoming a better person or live a life full of pain, blame games and regrets.

Some of the answers will draw you closer to your parents and it is always heart-warming when parents and children are brought closer by the power of natural love.

I haven’t been able to ask my parents all the above questions but I will do so when I get back home. I want to learn more about myself. I want to hear the people who were there when I said my first words and made my first steps tell me more about me and themselves.

Go ahead. Ask questions. Get answers. Use the answers to find more ways to bring more happiness to yourself, your parents and the people around you.

You don’t have to ask your parents all the questions in one sitting. Take your time. Get to the bottom of things. Watch history as if it were in the present moment. Laugh. Probe some more.

These are the moments (the question and answer sessions) that bring you closer to your parents. These are the moments you would love to remember for as long as you live.

Trust me on this (since it takes courage to do this and most people put off asking the questions until it is too late – like I only managed to ask mother these questions but my father passed away before I could ask him all the questions).

You can also feel free to ask your guardian or someone else you trust some of the questions above. Then come back and share with us what you learn.

And while at it, also remember to ask them this: How they can describe you in less than 140 words. That’s the length of a tweet!

Go ahead and do this today, then share with us how things turn out in the comments below.

Read more articles on how to become a better person.