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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Does your child have a very very very good memory? (odd)

43 replies

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 12:57

dd1 was 4 last week and we had her party at a play area. Got 8 presents all wrapped up in the usual array of pink/barbie/sparkle. They were handed over and went straight in a bin liner.

We got home and she knew who bought what as I got them all out of the binbag. And then the next day looked at her cards and knew who bought them from the cover.

Got a ELC carriage for her birthday, and said that one of her magazines had a pic in it that looked the same. Found the magazine (from the summer) and went straight to the page where there was a miniscule pic of a pink carriage.

dh works in the motor trade, had a car parked on the drive. Changed the licence plates when she was at playgroup to trade plates and she noticed when she got back. It was the same car, the ONLY thing different was that the letters and numbers had changed!!

I could go on, she does this every day, comes up with something that only a computer should remember.

Is this odd do you think?

OP posts:

bramblina · 31/10/2006 13:00

Child prodigy in the making I say. Be proud, you must have a very alert child.

Perhaps she's really interested in theings that appeal to her, yet less so to things she dislikes?

Original poster

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 13:02

I don't know, it seems a bit odd to me, maybe I am reading too much into it.

She does have other slightly odd behaviour when I compare to other children, especailly at outings. At play areas, she will sort the balls out into colours while others are knocking each other over on the slide.

Maybe I analyse too much, just wondered if anyone else had the same.

OP posts:

Marina · 31/10/2006 13:02

Definitely very bright and observant, OO, she sounds fab. Have seen ds do the same sort of thing, esp. with a sackload of presents. AND he knew all dd's Christmas ones too.
Remember their brains are not addled by stress and too much coffee over the years.

covenoveneer · 31/10/2006 13:04

DD is like that too (also 4). She is constantly amazing me with the things she remebers. I reckon she sapped my memory out of me during pregnancy as I am 10 times more forgetful since having children.

slaughterfalls · 31/10/2006 13:05

I am convinced my ds has a photographic memory, it freaks me out sometimes.

Marina · 31/10/2006 13:06

Use it OO. I make ds read holiday packing lists and check shopping

hunkermunster · 31/10/2006 13:07

OO, DS1 is quite like this - v observant and quick to spot differences. He's only 2.6, but makes connections all the time with people, places, etc and only has to see something once to know it next time (he's started to read, for instance).

I was like it too when I was little. And now people often say to me "Why do you remember that?!" and I think "Er, because I'm not quite sure how to forget it!" - could be a date something happened, what someone was wearing at a particular time, a meal we had years ago, a turn of phrase, a picture, a numberplate (I remember all the numberplates of cars we had from when I was a toddler), anything, really.

Makes arguing with me hard because I remember everything Bear that in mind for future with DD1...!

PrincessPeaHead · 31/10/2006 13:07

2 of my 4 are like that. when my eldest was about 2 if ever we lost anything, we'd say "ask dd". "darling, where is the book that daddy brought into the house two days ago?" she would always lead you straight there. bizarre!
ds1 also has the most amazing memory for things which happened years ago, when he was really small (like 2 or 3). he is 6 now.

Original poster

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 13:08

oh good, so it is normal then, or above average normal ? I was getting all worried, about what I know not.

OP posts:

Marina · 31/10/2006 13:08

Yes, book-finding. Also pens.
Shame he often trots off to school with his Y fronts on back to front, something you will never need to worry about with dd1 OO (well hopefully not)

Marina · 31/10/2006 13:09

Above average of course

Original poster

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 13:09

lol, I do ask her where things are all the time! "DD1 where are daddy's shoes?" etc. And the are always where she says.

OP posts:

bloodysideup · 31/10/2006 13:09

olive, your post describes my DS! Sometimes DH and I stare at eachother in amazement at the things he remembers and the detail.

I do think an awful lot of children do have very good memories though your DD sounds as if hers is exceptionally good. I agree with the poster who said they must be using the memory and brain cells they leeched from us during pregnancy. It's the only explanation for my inability to function on normal human being level any more.

covenoveneer · 31/10/2006 13:11

I too use it too my advantage, getting dd to remember shopping lists etc. It does have a down side though, you need to be sure you mean something when you say it what you say as they always remeber. My memory on the other hand is dire I carry a dictophone pen in my handbag to so I can record messages to remind me to do things.

hunkermunster · 31/10/2006 13:11

DS1 saw a small sheep-shaped ornament on the TV at his grandparents when he was 16mo. It was new and he was there for the day while I was at work. He spotted it instantly, pointed and said "ooh!". Played with it for a bit, then ignored it the rest of the day. When I went to pick him up after work, he went over to it, pointing and saying "ooh!" again, to make sure I saw this new thing.

Bozza · 31/10/2006 13:12

DS is like this and has always amazed us over the years. When England played the first match since the world cup, DS (5) got all alarmed and said "if Owen Hargreaves is no 11 who is no 16 now?" Yes he had memorised the squad numbers of the entire England squad, without any help from us, during the world cup, then remembered them months later. When he was 2, he knew lots of car models. Not so much by the model name but by "George's car" and it would be an Astra police car like the car driven by his friend's Mum.

So he knew all the numbers/colours/letters quite early. Unlike DD who knows all the colour names but is random in which one she uses. Big tantrum because she wants the green cup with me saying "but that is DS's", in the end it turns out she wants a yellow cup of her own all along. Has now started matching her hair clips with her clothes though. Quite cute.

suzywong · 31/10/2006 13:13

Yes
ds1, 5,5yrs, just told me he remebered his first trick or treat experience when he was 18 months old. He told me what two of his friends' costumes were like. That was 4 years ago when we lived in London.
Little Freak

Original poster

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 13:14

dh came home with the keys for his dad's car and left them on the side.

Dd1 came in and said "why have you got the Jeep Daddy?". The keys did not have any tag on so I have NO IDEA how she knew this one.

OP posts:

Issymum · 31/10/2006 13:14

DD1 (5) has traits like this. She's the one who will pop up with questions like "Mummy, did you remember to put Daddy's swimming things in the car as it's Thursday and Daddy swims after work on Thursdays'. To which my response is normally 'Bugger, I forgot'. (Note to self: DD2 has called one of her teddy bears 'Bugger' - must stop using that word.) I have to say I've put it down less to latent genius and more to having a brain uncluttered by 40 odd years of random, disorganised and semi-retrievable memories. DD2 (4), on the other hand, would probably barely notice if we moved house whilst she was at pre-school.

suzywong · 31/10/2006 13:15

oo when are you coming to Perth ? It's Fing GORGEOUS you know
your dd could join the circus with her talents and entertain the Remote Communities

Original poster

oliveoil · 31/10/2006 13:16

I need to CAT you suzy, find me a school for my genius child.

OP posts:

suzywong · 31/10/2006 13:17

[email protected]

DelGhoul · 31/10/2006 13:17

My dd is already doing this and she's 18 mths, albeit in a small way. I'll ask her to find something that she may have been playing with yesterday for example but that I can't immediately find and she'll go straight to it. However, this didn't actually work last week when she moved my keys, couldn't find them for ages but then found them underneath the pushchair by the front door. She couldn't get to them as the safety gate was closed but she probably would have known where they were

bloodysideup · 31/10/2006 13:18

DS could recongise and name nearly all car makes at two years old, amongst other amazing feats of memory, yet he could not recognise numbers 1 - 10 for aaaaaaages. Why is this? Is it down to simply not being interested? He only remembers things he is interested in?

Bozza · 31/10/2006 13:19

I am a bit like you hunker. DH who has a shocking memory and is incapable of planning/remembering social plans (but somehow manages to keep his own diary at work ) is sometimes amazed at me. I will list presents we have bought for children (and not just our own) for every Christmas and birthday since they were born and DH will be amazed. I can tell him what everyone of the immediate family (2 sets grandparents & 3x aunts/uncles bought DS and DD for their birthday and last Christmas. I could work back every weekend over the summer saying what we did. etc.

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