Call your parents.
They miss you.
Parents Are Human is a bilingual connection card game designed to spark deep conversations between you & your loved ones.
Let's Talk About Family
For the last few years, the most important priority in my life has been healing the broken and distant relationship I had with my parents for over twelve years.
I wanted to get to know my mom and dad before it was too late and co-created Parents Are Human to help you do the same. Let's go on this journey together.
Sometimes we are so busy growing up we forget our parents are growing old.
We designed a card game to connect more deeply with our parents while we still can.
A Game to Bridge Generations
For Ages: 13-100+
Get to Know Your Loved Ones
We’ve handpicked 50 Questions and 20 Actions to help spark connection and meaningful conversations between you and your parents, grandparents, stepparents, etc.
Bridge Language Barriers
Each card includes English on one side and a translated language on the other. Play in person or play remotely!
Start Light Then Dig Deeper
Each card has a level indicated in the top left corner. Start with a few light and easy questions or jump into the hard stuff right away. You control how you want to play.
Five Categories
We’ve selected questions that reflect the areas people are most interested in learning about their parents—Life Events, Wisdom, Identity, Relationships, and Actions.
Give the Gift of Quality Time
Just like us, our parents had their own painful experiences, fears & insecurities, funny stories, and a lifetime of wisdom to share. It’s never too late to get to know your parents.
Take on the Challenge With Friends
We know it may be daunting to start having these conversations with your loved ones. Stay accountable by pairing up with 1-3 other friends, ask your parents the same question every week, and gather to discuss.
We ship all over the world, with free 1-3 day shipping on orders over $35 in the US.
We fulfill your order same-day during business hours, Mondays through Saturdays.
My Parents Hand Pack Each Order With the Utmost Love & Care
I hired my mom, Mary Lam, and dad, Francis Lam after they had to retire early due to covid and other health complications.
They now hand-pack and deliver every order to the post office.
With each deck comes our love, prayers, and warmest wishes from my family to yours. ❤️
Parents Are Human Transforms Relationships
I have to tell you: I brought the deck home these past few days, and both times I've used it, I’ve learned way more about my parents in the thirty minutes we used the deck than the 24 years I’ve been on this earth and interacted with them. — Ruth W
We [played] for like three hours, and during those three hours were some of most peaceful and connected times that I would feel with my parents. We were just in a state of curiosity, of wonder, of empathy, of vulnerability.
I remember just afterwards, I would just be sitting in bliss and be like, oh my gosh, the world is all right. There's nothing wrong right now with the world. Everything is just as it should be. Everything is harmonious. — David Hu
I love my parents. My mom (pictured) spends 90% of our conversations giving me unsolicited work advice. Work is her passion and she excels at it, so naturally she wants to help me.
We've been stuck in a cycle; each time I visit home I'm guilty of tuning out within the first 10 minutes of her taking about work.
I bought these cards on a whim and have been using them to prompt our dinner conversations.
My parents love it. Cue reminiscing, story time, a lot of laughter.
(It's also helped me be more patient and present when my mom does talk about work 😉) — Emily Cheng
We started with one question, "What is the most impactful book you ever read?” and it led to a 1+ hour conversation.
My mother spoke about a book on fear and then related why it was so impactful.
She then told in detail an event where she was attacked at work.
I’ve heard the story before but there were certain details I forgot about and it was really interesting to hear it again.
I have so much respect for her. — Ryan Lum
I tried out the game with my mom and it's amaaazing.
It's been such a long time since we were able to connect on the same wavelength, where she didn't feel the pressure to "parent".
I was able to understand her in many more identities that I was familiar with, as daughters to our parents, as professionals, as women. We're scheduling another time to keep going through the series.
She's pretty stoked about it too. It's the first time in a while since we've had such an intensely meaningful mom-daughter bonding experience. — Judy Zhu
Over the moon that this exists.
We’re finally sharing stories and questions we’ve carried for years, but just didn’t know how to ask. — Chrislyn Choo
Wow
I wasn't sure my parents would be up for it… amazing what a little permission from a deck of cards can do.
— Daniel Moreh
Amazing resource
Two cards in and I’m already learning more about my mom than I have in years. Excited for the possibilities ahead.
— Michelle Pow
It brought my friends and family together
I got this for my boyfriend. He hasn’t spoken to his mother for a year. This game made her cry. Thank you so much.
— Michelle Hoang
Deep Conversations Immediately
I played with some friends and immediately began learning more about them — their families, preferences, personalities.
This game has so much potential to teach empathy for parents of older generations, and friends alike.
— Harmony Z
INCREDIBLE
This is THE PERFECT game to bring home to the holidays.
More than ever these last few years have taught us that life is short, life is precious – take the time now to get to know your parents & grandparents better.
— Kaye Rockwell
Great way to connect with our older generation
I loved how easy and thought provoking questions. Our elders may not want to answer then initially, but they will open up, eventually!
I’ve grown closer to my grandma by asking her questions about her childhood.
— Theresa Le
My family is Taiwanese and we aren't accustomed to ask each other about our days, even though every night as a child we always had dinner together.
I used this deck over Thanksgiving and it was literally the most we've ever connected outside of eating together and hiking.
— Lily C
My favourite memory during this pandemic is playing Parents Are Human with my parents over video call.
Through asking these questions that I have never asked before, I got to know them even better!
— Angela D
Our family played your game Parents Are Human and it started a whole world wind of deeper conversations and we all bawled our eyes out.
So it was very successful. Thank you for igniting that fire, I feel closer to my fam now.
— Angel G
Love it
Really enjoyable, great for connecting with my parents in ways I haven’t before. Worth every penny.
— Landon Khau
Incredible game
Played this with my entire family over the holidays and it really helped us get to know each other so much better. Love this game!!
— Ivy Telles
Great gift!
My friends live with her 94 year old mother. This opened up some truly interesting conversations. Thank you.
— Cindy Hunter
love love love love this
Once we opened the package, we couldn't stop opening it afterward to keep asking the questions. What a great idea even for friends, not only between parents and children. Well done. The elders are certainly smiling down on you. Now? How do I order 10 more sets? LOL And I'm being totally serious!
— Marvin Webb
A gift for deepening connections with loved ones
I love the questions, that the decks are bilingual, and how my dad immediately opened up to the first thought-provoking question. I'm telling everyone I know about these decks (even if they don't need the second language!). I bought more than I needed to give them out as gifts. Thank you for creating this thoughtful product/game!
— Katharin Bettendorf
Great conversation starters
My parents are immigrant Chinese and I've used these cards with them as well as other ethnic parents in my clinical practice as a I'm an Asian-American psychotherapist specializing in cultural issues. I'm so glad I found these as they are now an indispensable tool for engagement.
— Sam Louie, MA, LMHC
Wonderful
This is such a wonderful project. The questions are so thoughtful. I've started asking my parents, aunts, and uncles. I've learned so much with some surprising answers. Two of my uncles felt honored that I was asking them and wanted to learn more about their lives. Thanks so much for creating this wonderful resource!
— Christina D
This really warms my heart
The customer service is truly above-and-beyond and the product is really once of a kind. I applaud Joseph for this exceptional idea on how to connect with parents. He truly understand how difficult language barrier so if you're reading this, Joseph– Thank you. Really.
— Nadia Chao
Love this game!
This is a great game that I tried to play with my hyperactive late 70s aged parents. I learned quite a bit from them that I felt were more connected since it was in Tagalog. Highly recommended if you're one who has trouble breaking the ice with your folks.
— Junior Tidal
For intergenerational healing 🥰
For years I’ve wanted to find a way to bridge my “American” upbringing with my “Vietnamese” upbringing, and this feels like part of it! I’m so happy there’s a game that exists where I don’t need to be the translator, so I can enjoy being more present. I have yet to play the game, but know it’s going to come in handy whenever I’m ready. And it will be so interesting to see how questions are translated and in what dialect. I imagine that can even be a point in conversation. Also, design and quality of packaging are 10/10!
— Tiffany T
Perfect for connecting parents and children
I just wanted to say thank you! I bought these for my husband because his mother is his only living parent and we don't know how much time we have left with her. She is ethnically Chinese (so I bought the traditional Chinese cards) but was raised in Vietnam and is a war refugee. We know she has stories to tell, but their relationship has always been strictly business (what are you eating for dinner, do you work tomorrow, can you pay this bill for me, did you take your meds today) and never deeper than that. They love each other very much but have never had the right words to express it or have meaningful conversation. The language barrier is another layer of difficulty, so the fact that these are bilingual is fantastic. We received our deck yesterday and he and his brother are very excited to use it. I think it will be the perfect catalyst to form amazing memories with their mom before she leaves this earth. Thank you so much for this project. It means the world to our family.
— Christine Wong
Looking forward to playing this during the holidays.
I received four decks. I gave one to my girlfriend, so that she can begin the healing process of past family trauma. I talked to strangers about this, and they were happy to share similar stories. This definitely seems to be a fun and engaging way to connect with family, relatives, friends, and even strangers. I love the Chinese language version. It opened up mockery and ridicule of my Chinese pronunciation. Fun times. Nothing connects Chinese parents and kids more than clowning on each other's language skills.
— Russell Fung
We have a gift for you! We made our entire game free digitally, so our questions & translations can be accessible to all.
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