3 year old - is it normal not to remember names?

[Charvetti]

Hi. My son is three and a half. He has an excellent vocabulary and plays very imaginative games. However, I am concerned that he does not seem to be able to remember people's names. For example, today we were at a friends house whose daughter he has known since birth (although we do not see them all the time). I told him her name several times during the day and she calls him by his name. But if at any point I ask him what her name is (even 5 mins after I told him) he replies that he does not know. This is pretty standard for him. People can stay with us for a week but if I asked their name he wouldn't be able to answer. Strangely, he also muddles the words for breakfast, lunch and dinner (eg he calls his evening meal breakfast etc). He has no problem remembering the names of dinosaurs. Is it that he is just not interested in people's names? Or is he unable to remember them?

If that's his only 'problem', maybe don't worry about it too much at this stage. Encourage his conversations as much as possible, and see if he can retell common journeys, trips to the park, shops, etc. Try to get as much detail from him as possible.

If he can manage dinosaurs, extend that into other things that interest him (and/or you) such as animals, dog breeds, birds, cars. Anything to get the brain synapses working!

Is he at nursery, pre-school etc?

Because it was so bad yesterday we spent the whole morning today practicing her name. We'd say it in silly ways, loud ways etc again and again. Then i'd ask him her name and he'd just be clueless. I've been trying every night to talk about his day together but again, unless I absolutely prompt him he says he doesn't know what he did. If I say "we went to blah's house today" he might say oh yes, we chased each other but that's about as much detail as he seems to know. What did you do at play group today is just a non-starter. Yet he knows that one of his dinosaurs is a Tapajara! I just don't understand how even if I tell him a name over and over and over again, I ask him two minutes later and he has no idea.

If you asked him to take something to X or point to X would he be able to?

Yes, I think so