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.

They're not vivid (none of my memories are tbh) but I do have some snapshots from early childhood and later. I remember quite a lot from when my mum and dad were still together and their massive arguments. They split up when I was about 4.

I have a couple of random memories from when I was around 4-6 nothing really before that. I think it's actually very hard to tell because with 'memorable' events that have been talked about you can feel like you have a memory of something but you've really formed that memory based on someone else's (eg your mum) retelling of an event. I have a couple of memories that I know are real because they are times when I was on my own, and nothing notable happened eg I was swinging on a swing in my garden. Otherwise lots of stuff I think I remember might be fake memories.

I remember an accident I had at age 2 and cam remember a lot from about 3 onwards, going to playgroups and first day at school. Other memories I have I wonder if they are real memories or I have just seen a photo and made this in to a memory?

I remember lots from a very young age (pre-speech) and onwards. Just a day or two ago, I was having a long conversation with a good friend who was brought up in a very different and interesting environment for the first 7 years of his life and I asked him what he could remember about it.

He couldn't remember anything - I don't know why and neither did he. Although he did mention 'fear'.

I do have very very detailed recollections of my childhood from before 3 upwards. I wonder if memory is linked to when we develop speech? I apparently could say prayers (Catholic) at 18 months and I think I remember from just after that. I also know lots of men who don’t remember anything before puberty/10-11-ish (I don’t mean it’s because they couldn’t speak!!) but wonder if it’s something picked up from our environment that we should be remembering. I don’t know (I’ve had a few beers). All my siblings have very good memories though (of childhood before the age of 5)

My earliest memory is falling out of my grandmas bed drinking a bottle of milk, I would of been 2 at the oldest.
I have other random ones throughout the years, but not a lot before age 11.

Most of my early memories are traumatic one... falls, cut knees, pooping in my pants instead of the potty and feeling ashamed, kittens dying..my sister being born. I remember my mum accidentally setting fire to the kitchen and I remember a mouse in our bath and my mum catching it in a flowerpot. I remember being very unwell on my 2nd birthday and screaming at my mum to “Take the cake away!!!” We moved before I turned 4 and all these memories are from our first home. It might be a blessing to have a less traumatic childhood but few memories of it rather than only having negative memories.

I remember turning 10 - and remember most things from then on. Anything prior to 10 not a clue!

I don’t remember day to day stuff but Key events stuck with me

I remember very little. In my one and only therapy session, the therapist suggested it was a coping mechanism due to my parents. Makes sense since I have occasional memories about my siblings but very little about home other than occasional bad memories.

Very slight memories around 7-10

Really clear memories from 3/4 - I started school at 4 and could honestly tell you everything about that day.

I could also tell you exactly what I was wearing on this day five years ago, and the lyrics of every song or advertising jingle I ever heard. Sometimes my DP is quite freaked out by my memory!

I am 78, and I have been documenting all my memories from childhood.
I like writing a lot, so decided to start on this task, I write it all as a year to year thing, everything I can remember from each year from childhood. It is actually to stop me going a bit brain dead so to speak,now I am older. All the things that I write down, and then read back, make things more vivid to me.

My first memory was from when I was two in 1944, so in the war years. My late Mum had picked me up, and rushed out to the front gate, as had lots of other neighbours in our road, they were all gazing up to the sky, as about 15 planes were flying over, going somewhere or other. I can remember exactly what my Mum was wearing, she was dressed for work, as she did night shifts at a factory , making aeroplane parts, and ammunition etc.

I told my Mum all about this when she was alive, and she said, omg, that really is what I had to wear then. I also said that I remembered the colour of her work clothes , and the green and red tartan scarf that she had for hair covering at work. There were no photo's in our house, of my Mum dressed like this, this was just from my memory when aged two.

I can remember all my childhood, some of my memories are from really young (being in the pram, of looking through my cot bars, scooting about on my potty!!) but I can pretty well remember everything from age 2-3 onwards.
I always thought everyone could so I am surprised at those who can't.

I remember a lot of my early childhood. I remember the houses we lived, being in my cot, things that happened and really random everyday things.

Age 11-15 only a few bits and pieces.

Although (I think I dreamt it) I have a memory of looking down on my mother and saying I would choose her because no one else wanted to.
Really weird dream if it was a dream.
Incredible memory of it wasn’t.

i can remember being in a high chair and striking my head with a feeding bottle.
they were made of heavy glass then.
my mother and aunt were present and chatting while my aunt helped with the ironing. it was a nice atmosphere, a saturday afternoon.
then suddenly this relaxed atmosphere changed, not when i struck my head but shortly later when my mother glanced in my direction and exclaimed, about my eye. i think there must have been some blood running down.
i was quite unperturbed, in fact enjoying being the centre of attention. my older brother was summoned instructed go to the chemists for elastoplasters.

so i guess i would have been not more than 40 months, maybe less.
it is a happy memory. they have all passed away now.

I remember very, very little. Only an odd flash. But my dad died when I was in Year 6 and there was no counselling, bereavement support or anything for kids at the time. I remember being told by a well-meaning relative after the funeral (which I did not attend) to look after my mum, which I translated as "don't upset her" and consequently bottled up a lot of emotions and didn't talk about it or my dad for about 30 years, until it came spilling out alongside another big life event. I still find it very hard. I guess I kind of shut it all away in a box in my head, including all that had gone before.

That's my non-expert theory on why I don't recall much, anyway.

Meanwhile oh has v fond memories of a close relationship with his gran who died before he was 3, and many memories from that point on.

I can remember being at playgroup so probably 3. Quite vivid memories. My long term memory is decent. Detailed, intense. Short term I struggle and often forget what people have just said.
DH remembers virtually nothing from his childhood it really annoys me!

I have a few memories from before I was about 8, but not many. But I also have a couple of false memories that correspond to family stories that were told but that I found out later did not happen the way they were told.

i remember the place I lived until I was 2 years 2 months. But only one memory.

I also remember the place I lived from 2 years 2 months until two years 8 months. again only one memory. I also remember walking near there when I was very young in reins. (parents argued about letting go of the reins) however, i may have been older as it was a relatives house so visited as well as living there.

I remember my mum going into hospital to have my sister when I was 2. I also remember going to nursery. I'm 48 now, not sure if current age affects memory? My two DS can't remember going to nursery and they're in their 20's.

I have very little memories. The ones I do have are not happy ones. I changed school at 8 years old, and while I remember the layout of the old one, I have no memories of the people there or anything I did. From 8 onwards I remember more but most memories are 12+

I have a memory of being sat in my cot and the white cot bars. The rest are from around 3 onwards. Quite a few from nursery but I was in trouble alot and told off, the same in the early years of school and these are the ones that have stuck

From 4-7 I have flashes of significant events. Remember a lot from 8 onwards.

I remember very specific events more than young childhood in general, if that makes sense. For example, I very clearly remember breaking my arm at 3, going to the hospital and getting a ice lolly on the way home. I remember my first day of school and the general lay out of the room (4). I remember seeing the scan photo of my sister and visiting her/my mum in the hospital when she was born (also 4).

I can remember in much more detail from around 8 up.

I have memories of maybe 12 incidents per year from ages 3-9. After that I remember a lot more.

I have no memory of the year I was eight. My mum later told me I had been very unhappy that year, crying most days because my teacher bullied me. I guess it is quite common for people to block out certain stages of their childhood if it was traumatic.