To ask how much of your childhood can you remember?

[gratefulll]

I was chatting with friends earlier about childhood memories and I was surprised at how much they can remember. I can barely remember any of it. I have small glimpses of certain things like little snapshots of memories but no really detailed stories I can tell. I am only in my 20s so thought I should be able to remember more.

How much can you remember?

Unfortunately bad feelings associated with certain memories go deeper and bring back fear or humiliation. It is easier to remember the good as I'm older after some self mind training.
One memory from secondary in assembly with 100 students, A teacher goading me loudly when I lost my book asking "did I live in a mansion or a black hole" it embarrassed me for years as my home was a black hole it was easy to lose a book.
Now as a grown up I think she's an insensitive tactless cow trying to embarrass a 13 y.o who clearly by her wrinkley clothing didn't live in a mansion.
Kinda turn that frown upside down.

I have a fairly good memory of childhood, I remember a lot of things, and also what I felt and thought in situations.

I think with very early memories language development is a factor. Most people remember little or nothing before they understand language.

Since I tuned about 40, I've found I don't remember as well though. Which is weird, because sometimes I remember remembering something (like a particular birthday party), but I can't remember the thing I was remembering.

I remember snap shots from toddlerhood and then pretty much everything from then on. Not as in each individual day, but large events, special moments, sad times, happy times. Especially embarrassing things that happened 30 years ago will hop into my head to keep me awake at night.
The odd thing is my sister remembers the same occasions very differently to me.If someone else verifys then usually my version is closer to being correct.
To her though, her memories are just as real.

@YonderTweek that’s amazing I have never met anyone like me. I totally understand the stalker is thing, I was in an online support group for several years and when we met up in person, people thought I had been writing things down as I remembered so much about them, things like where they lived, their children’s names and ages, their jobs and all sorts of anecdotes and facts they had only mentioned once!

It's so interesting how different people are with memories. I would love to remember more of my childhood. I watched some videos recently of my childhood such as my 8th birthday and found it quite eery to see me talking when I have absolutely no recollection of it!

Reading some of the replies has actually jogged my memory a little, I have a really brief flash of a memory of walking into nursery when I was 3 or 4 years old.

Luckily my siblings have really detailed memories. My brother can remember so much, I love sitting and listening to his childhood stories.

@Evenstar Haha, same. When I went to baby groups etc I felt really weird when I remembered every mum's birth story and which baby was colicky, who was breast/bottle fed etc. I can't help it! It was the same with social media when I still used it. I would remember randomers' mundane posts and even people's likes. I think I can still remember most online conversations I had when I used various message boards in the early 2000s. It's a bit weird and seems like a waste of brain capacity sometimes, but is sometimes useful. At least people feel that I've really listened to them when I remember bits about their lives. Haha.

Do you get constant vivid flashbacks as well? Mine get triggered by smell so I can smell something and it immediately takes me to some random memory from 30+ years ago. I love it when it happens but it makes me feel a bit melancholic sometimes.

Good thread OP! I've enjoyed reading about how others remember things.

@YonderTweek yes to the smells and also music. Thank you OP this has been really interesting, I think my dad may have been similar but I actually have never met another person with a memory like mine.

thanks for the thread OP, I have been sitting here in bed going through my memories, I had a wonderful childhood (born early 60s) I remember so much, probably from the age of about 3 - I clearly remember my dgps house, where I spent a lot of time, I remember very clearly trying to 'ping' my db out of the pram, a huge coach built thing, luckily my dm had put the rain cover on so when I ran up and pulled the handle down he just slid down and underneath and didnt do the flying through the air that I wanted to see (lovely child )

I remember so many smells, hot persil in the washing tub, gas mantles on my dgps walls, the smell inside my grandads car, all polished leather and crome cleaner, the smell of the coalfire when I got home from school in the winter, the smell of my classroom, victorian with a huge coalfire boiler thing with a guard round it that my teacher used to dry our coats over, with our little wellies pegged together warming up for us to walk home in

I'll stop now, I'm wittering like an old lady

I remember lots, well I would have said that until last week then my Aunt told me how she would never forget the minister taking me to the hospital to say goodbye to my dad, I have no memory of that at all but does explain why he kept in touch with me until his death.

I remember absolutely loads. But I do have a good memory generally.

I have noticed now in my 30s though my brain is prioritising and details are drifting off a bit, DH and I were discussing whether we could remember (for example) who had been in our classes at primary school. I could remember lots of kids but it felt like am effort.

I can remember being around 18 months to 2 years then a lot more from that age. Lots of very vivid memories. I have a twin sister and she also remembers a lot, but stuff I don't.

Almost everything. I wish I could forget most of it, tbh.

All of it was utterly miserable and shit, and unfortunately I can remember a lot of it.

Even star/yonder I'm a bit like this with the stalker thing. I dont really ever forget names & faces and I remember a lot that people say to me, I think people assume I am weirdly nosy/spend all my time trawling Facebook! I really don't

Nope barely any memories at all pre 18. I thought it was just me because home life was difficult but so relieved it's not just me. My DH has vivid memories of his childhood so I always felt odd.

All of it was utterly miserable and shit, and unfortunately I can remember a lot of it.

Jesus, that's sad.

My earliest memory is from around 18 months and I can remember a lot from all throughout my childhood if I think about it, including my thoughts and feelings at different times. More than any of my siblings.

My mother was fairly abusive, and I have some pretty clear, disturbing memories of the things she did. A lot of which my siblings seem to have blocked out.

I’m 42 and have a photographic memory. I can remember sitting on a special seat above my brother’s pram, I was 18 months old when he was born so I must have been around 18m-2.5.

I can vividly remember the house i grew up in, certain clothes and toys. I remember my first day at school aged 4 and the smell of it.

I often dream of that house too. I had a lovely childhood with little money at times but the house was spotless.

My 17yr old ds has the same type of memory and recalls the most obscure details, some of which I had forgotten!

My parents divorced when I was 30 so it never affected my childhood but when I dream, they’re still together!

First memory around 2.5y, very vivid. After that, I find I remember a lot and very clearly. I can still remember my room when I was 5-6 or games I used to play, toys, situations... sometimes even the smell of the flowers my mum planted in the garden.

Barely anything. Including some of the stories I've been told by my family that really you would expect me to remember.

There are so many things that parents stress over - it seems pointless with the knowledge that all of the details are forgotten.

@rainkeepsfallingdown

Barely anything. Including some of the stories I've been told by my family that really you would expect me to remember.

There are so many things that parents stress over - it seems pointless with the knowledge that all of the details are forgotten.

Not all the details are forgotten for everyone. I remember most of my child, the good and unfortunately the very bad.

I remember clothes, toys, days out, thoughts, feelings, punishments, holidays, christmases and birthdays. You don’t know what your child will remember as an adult.

I’m 35 and nothing has faded. My DP and siblings only have patchy memories though.

Unfortunately, my memories are very sparse and I only remember the ones where I was unfairly treated (which wasn't very often), or a memory attached to an object - for example I remember going to Disneyworld with my parents and buying a parasol with my name on it.

I've a crap memory generally.

I remember loads but weirdly I couldn't remember much when I was in my twenties. When I had children myself loads came back to me.