Do you remember being a child?

[Eatyourbanana]

I have absolutely no memories until the age of about 9 or 10. Even memories I have of that age are few and far between.

My nan always tells me stories of ‘when I was 3 my mum blah blah...’ she thinks there’s something wrong with me I don’t remember anything?!

YABU - I have memories from a young age 3,4,5...

YANBU - I cant remember much, if anything from childhood.

Not really an AIBU, but generally intrigued.

Like lots of other people I have fleeting picture memories from being 2 and then increasing numbers as I get older. I remember all of my primary school classrooms and teachers and numerous specific events from each year there. Interestingly though I have very few memories of my teenage years from maybe 14-17 maybe older, lotsa of things I sometimes see photos of and just cannot recall it at all. My mum died when I was 15 and who knows what if anything that means. It’s very interesting to read theories on memories being closely linked to language skills though. I.e. you need to have enough Language to at least internally vocalise something in order to be able to remember it.

remember a few things from 3. playgroup friends and toys, being given new pence just after decimalisation, then a bit more from 4 starting school etc

I can remember sitting in the pushchair with my face peeping out from the hole in the rain canopy.

I can also remember the yucky taste of earwax and wiping off my finger onto the wallpaper through the cot bars.

I have some very vivid memories of things when I was 3 or 4, not many at all though. I have more from 5 onwards but not loads compared to other people I have spoken to about this. I only seem to have lots of memories from about 10 onwards. Horrible childhood though so I think maybe I’ve just blocked a lot out.

My kids are 12 and 16 and they have lots of memories from age 3, mainly about holidays, our pets and toys.

@Eatyourbanana- There is a very rare medical condition where people do recall every day of their life. There is a British women (maybe in her 30's?) with it and I saw a documentary about her. Extremely rare though, but her 1st memory was being in the back seat of the car being brought home from the hospital after birth!!!

I mentioned earlier than I recall things from age 3 onwards. My childhood was very happy, with nothing traumatic till my teens when my dad died. Even then, I recal it all though.

I also remember "stealing" some sweets from the shop while I was in the pushchair! God I cant have been more than 2

It seem to be that early memories, for most of us, are significant events rather than the everyday.

For me it would be sitting in the back of my dad's car, with my mother's young sister, while my dad collected mum and my baby sister. I would have been a month short of 4.
I remember my infant school teacher, Mrs Parry, and being thrilled to be able to read the word 'sandwich' from the blackboard. That may have been year 2 (in new money!)

My earliest district memory is working out how to climb out of the cot, I then crawled into my mum's room. I was a late walker (16 months) so must have been younger than that. I've got a few other memories of been that young but it's patchy snippets.

My memory starts more clearly around 3, I remember activities I did at nursery, what I got for Christmas/ birthdays etc. And can recall more if prompted eg. If someone said "do you remember going to X" I could remember who we were with, what else we did that day, were we had lunch etc.

@BogRollBOGOF

The one about ear wax is hilarious and completely mind boggling to me that you can remember it!!

I can now remember bits but before last year (a traumatic event) I couldn't remember anything. My childhood was (mostly) horrible - toxic parents, narcissist mother. Abuse etc - the event has triggered quite a lot of things which tbh I was quite happy not remembering x

I have clear memories before the age of 6. Some I'm unsure whether I remember or just feel like I remember due to photos etc, but I have some which are definitely mine.

DH can't remember anything before about 12 or 13. I think his childhood was probably quite traumatic based on things that have been said but he doesn't think so.

I can only remember either really bad things or really good things. Nothing in between.
My family often say do you remember x, y and z and I never can. I have maybe 10 clear memories between the ages of 5 and 11. That’s it.

I remember really random things like my pushchair tipping up whilst in the queue for the chip shop because my DM had overloaded it with shopping, which my DM says is correct. However, other more disturbing memories are false apparently and there are lots.

Most of my memories start from 3 years old but can remember a couple of things from before then when we lived in a different house. My OH doesn't remember as many things from his childhood and not as young. Everyone must be different but I'm quite interested in how it all works now...

I remember things like the neighbour coming to visit when my sister was born (I was 2.9) but random everyday things too. I remember the smell of a house shaped tin of quality street and my dad singing my name to me to the tune of the alphabet song. And malted milk biscuits at nursery and singing miss polly had a dolly (and being told off for swinging her too hard) and going right down the edge of the field to play "there was a princess long ago" also at nursery school. I started reception when I was only just 4. Can't remember starting school, but remember random things from my reception classroom and having an apple cut up and wrapped in cling film for snack. And my mum sewing name tags into my knickers in case I lost them :o

I have one clear memory of being around 18 months when we moved home.

I have quite a good memory generally, a lot of my most vivid memories from before school age are based around feelings. Not necessarily anything volatile or exciting, but just every day feelings, like being at home with my mum.

[quote Eatyourbanana]@Hingeandbracket, sorry. Where do you fit in between?[/quote]
Very clear memories from about 7 on. Only snatches of stuff before that. Like a lot of others - my memories of particular stuff are sometimes utter bollocks though (whilst generally correct the detail can be off).
I can recall every bike I've ever owned (and a few I borrowed), all the nasty and most of the nice teachers I had, every TV set we had, every dog (in fact all pets).

I can remember a lot from those years. I have a few memories of being 1 and 2 as well.

I do wonder about things like this. Sometimes I have flashbacks which I would say definitely go back to before I was 5.

Some 'memories' might be formed from an old photo or being told about a certain moment don't you think?

I'd love my daughter to have early memories she's nearly 2 and bright as a button but I get sad thinking she'll never remember us having the fun and silliness that we have together these days.

I can remember being at nursery. According to my mum this was the year before I started school, so 3/4? I was there for a few hours each day. I remember clearly the beds and blankets for sleeping, the toilets, story time and a little boy falling off a climbing frame.

And I can absolutely remember the smell.

My earliest memory is at 18 months. It was a lent service at a church and the candles fascinated me so much I still remember it clearly, the Vicar in his robes, the warm colour of the walls, it was the most magical thing in the world. I still remember the lack of internal monologue I had a very young child. I miss acting without a second thought.

I remember from before 18 m and so do my dds. We were all extremely early talkers, i have wondered if that helps cement the memories.

I have very clear memories.
My brother has none.

I've got flashes from when I was around a year old and onwards. Apparently I could speak properly from around nine months old. I've always wondered if it's to do with that, because I can associate actual conversations with events 🤷🏻‍♀️