How many childhood memories do you have?

[HourlyTime]

A friend asked me if I had school dinners or took a packed lunch when I was a kid - I couldn't remember.

Either Primary or secondary school, I have zero memories of eating, I couldn't tell you - I can't remember any friends I had, or outside school what I did in the summer holidays or weekends.

I realised I have very, very few childhood memories at all.

Is that normal/common?

I hardly remember anything either. DH remembers masses.

Gosh, well in contrast I have quite vivid memories of especially primary school. I could tell you all about the metal trays of grey mashed potato with glassy bits in that was scooped out with an ice cream scoop. The dinner ladies, the tapioca, sago, Scouse.....I also took packed lunches and remember the shape of the ski yogurt pots. I could tell you loads of names, recall snippets of conversation, the list goes on....

I think it varies enormously from individual to individual. I remember absolutely heaps, which I am glad about but for 2 things: Firstly it means I'm very nostalgic and spend a lot of time looking back and missing my childhood, and secondly because I have the not-so-good memories as well as the good ones, and cringe hard over a lot of them!

Absolutely fuck all. I genuinely don't remember anything from my childhood until the age of maybe... 18 or 19? That's when memories actually started sticking. The things I do "remember", I remember in really small bits or because someone has told me about them, so it's more their memories rather than mine

I remember my first day at school in some detail. I have a lot of childhood memories actually.

I remember a lot, even before school, used to move to a different town every year while my father was still serving in military so probably those big changes create stronger memories. Husband does not remember single thing from his school years 😁 usually I feel embarrassed to mention details I remember from early childhood, because it is not very common and people don't belive me, so I feel like probably everyone thinks I'm bragging lol..

I remember lots from my primary school, I have clear memories from my nursery age 4/5

Loads.

I can remember snippets from my childhood but cannot remember meal times ,routines etc . I am in my 60s now.I remember my childhood friends ,out playing for hours and still in touch with my earliest bestie ❤️
Likewise I cannot remember details about my children’s childhood ie what time they were up in mornings,getting ready for school routines etc .

I have many memories from childhood, and many of them from school and from the school canteen. I remember many of the dishes, the lunch ladies, where I used to sit to eat, what we used to talk about during lunch, etc.

My earliest memory is being in a cot and looking through the bars at my mum sleeping. I remember lots from nursery so aged 3. Remember my first day of primary school and lots from infants and juniors. And remember high school like yesterday. Unfortunately I also have a lot of bad memories. There was a lot of of domestic abuse in my household. Maybe that's why I remember so much- trauma?

I remember certain things extremely vividly. I remember once putting tobasco sauce in one boy's sandwiches.
I remember eating nothing but grated carrot, hated cheese and steamed sponge cake in primary school.
I remember all the chants and rhymes and games me and my friends used to play.
I remember smells really vividly too.
The worst was witnessing a suicide aged 4. Remember all that in detail.

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful childhood with very loving parents. I have loads of memories going back to when I was 3 or 4. I am 62 now.

loads. They start being washed standing in a bowl on the table in my grandmother’s house and she died when I was three. I remember loads and in great detail. I often think of the past. My DH can’t remember anything.

I can remember back to a lot the year I was three, but my earliest memory I was just over 18 months. These are all memories I can date for various reasons. I wouldn't necessarily be able to remember a specific thing like whether I had packed lunch (although I can. I had school dinners in year R and half of year 1, when I begged to stop. I then asked if I couldn't them again in year 4, and had a week of school dinners, and concluded I didn't want them) but some I can.

Dh can remember very little before secondary school.

dd1 is like dh, dd2 is like me.

I remember loads from early childhood onwards. Unfortunately, like a PP, a lot are not very happy memories.

@HourlyTime Do you have any school photos, or photo albums of your childhood, do they jog any memories? Is it just school that you don't remember or is it childhood in general?

Are you someone who tends to 'space out' or daydream a lot? If you disassociate a lot it will affect your memory retention.

I have few memories. Lots of the ones I do have are bad ones which is sad because I don't think my childhood was all bad at all.

Absolutely loads, from as early as 2. On the other hand, DP doesn’t seem to recall nearly anything that didn’t happen before he was 7.

This is so weird I was literally thinking about this yesterday as to why I can’t remember much and I was annoyed with myself

When did you start talking? I was speaking very early and have loads of memories. My older brother said nothing until he was 3 and a half and remembers far less

I can remember quite a lot from when I was about 3 upwards. School, holidays etc

Can't necessarily remember what I did last week, or what is happening next week though!

I remember a lot-I can remember specific meals from primary and secondary school. I also remember everyone in my year, and recently recognised a girl from my primary school who k hadn’t seen since we were 6-I am 54! I have a very good autobiographical memory.

Its interesting.....my DH and a close friend both had traumatic childhoods with various adverse childhood experiences, and barely remember much at all, however another friend who had an even worse childhood literally remembers everything!
I had generally a really positive childhood and remember loads! But my parents were nostalgic and sentimental people who took photos, kept things, talked about memories etc, which maybe helped...or maybe i just have a really good long term memory.

I can remember loads about my childhood. I can remember the elastic on those rubber pants that we used to wear over our nappies digging into my thigh. I can vaguely remember my 2nd birthday. I can remember the textures of clothes and furniture and things, and smells like Victoria Plum lip balm and Matey bubble bath. There’s no much I don’t remember from 40 years ago.

But if I got arrested and they asked me what I was doing last Tuesday, I’d struggle to remember. It’s really bizarre. I have the most awful short term memory.