Spin-off: Things your child remembers

[becoming]

What are some amazing things your child has remembered after a long period of time?

My 3-year-old DD put on a shirt this morning and told me, "This is the shirt I wore to that festival. The one with the dried-up corn that we played in." The festival (which was actually a Corn Maize with little kiddy activities set up, including a sandbox full of dried corn) took place in October of last year, when she was not quite 3, and indeed she did wear that shirt.

I told her, "I can't believe you remembered that! That's amazing!" We went on with our day, and a few minutes later she said, "Chase was wearing a yellow shirt with numbers on it at that festival." Chase is her older brother, and she was right about his shirt, too!

We don't have any pictures of that day anywhere, either, as they're STILL on my old digital camera and haven't been put on the computer or printed out.

[eepster]

It would seem you have a pretty good memory too, since you knew she was right.

DS did not inherit his great memory from me. He infact did impress me with some amazing feat of memory just a couple of weeks ago, but I can't remember the details.

He's also been known to insist that we have carrots when we don't; drag me to the kitchen; make me open the fridge (this was before he was tall enough to reach the handle); open the produce drawer; reach behind whatever was in the front of the drawer; and pull out a bag of mummified carrots that had been in there for god and DS only knows how long :. He was then really upset that I didn't feel mummified carrots were edible.

[EviesMom]

In October, we went to the local LLL conference. It's a couple hours away in an area we haven't ever been to before except for a LLL conference 2 years ago. I was a vendor with a booth two years ago, we just went for the day, and DD was 2! DS had not been born. We walked in and DD said "I've been here before! You had a toy booth Mama, in that room that way. And the swimming pool is this way, and the playroom is that way." I said "You're right. That's totally right." Then she told me "Grandma and Grandpa came too, and Grandma played with me while you and Daddy went to a meeting (um, yeah, we did. I wouldn't have remembered it until DD said it, but as my parents were nearby, they came over and DH and I did do one of the "couples" sessions. Then she looked very confused and concerned and said "But Mama... I can't remember where Jazzy was." I said, "Well, Jazzy wasn't born yet then, sweetie. You were only 2."

Kinda sweet that she was worried about not remembering what her brother was doing at that conference.

[nettieferg]

We took DD#1, age 2, to one of our local metroparks and she said, "I want to go on the horse ride -- the one where you get to sit in the wagon with the hay" -- It was off season, so we told her this was not possible, and there was no hay ride in sight -- then she said, "but we got to do it LAST time we came here!" --Yes, that WAS true, when we had come when DD was 9 MONTHS OLD . . .

DS had to go to the hospital when he was 2 (broke his ankle when an older boy pushed him on the slide) -- on the 1 year anniversary of the event, I asked him if he could remember anything from his hospital visit. I guess that was the wrong question, because it turned out he remembered EVERYTHING . . . "I had a red, white & blue popsicle that you didn't like because it had food coloring", "I liked the doctors because they were wearing green", "Aunt Debi came, and she brought me little muffins with blueberries", "and you forgot to give the phone back to the nurses when Grandpa called you on their phone" (oops! -- I actually had forgotten about that one! ;-) -- I am not sure the definition of a photographic memory, but, when he remembers things, he always includes details (colors/textures, etc.) I find it interesting, anyway - because I remember the same way -

I think these kids are LOTS of work (my worst complaint is how FIERCE and DEEP their emotions run), but darn it! They are just so much fun!!! :-)

[nettieferg]

Originally Posted by EviesMom

Kinda sweet that she was worried about not remembering what her brother was doing at that conference.

I LOVE that -- my 3.5 and 5 are like that with their 6 month old sister -- it cracks me up, because they are more paranoid with her than I am (i.e. they are always examining her baby toys for "pieces that could come off and choke her", and taking away toys "this one seems like it might be just a little too small" ;-) --- it is very funny but DB gets a bit exasperated by her 'protectors'

[PreggieUBA2C]

My children regularly correct my memories and all have very accurate memories, which I can confirm with evidence.

One in particular completely astounded me and required looking up photos that were never in circulation at our home or elsewhere (stored in harddrive that was in a cupboard- don't ask... ) and talking to a family friend to confirm it.

Our ds1, last year, saw a child at a grocery store holding a silver foil balloon. Hours later, when we'd returned from our 5hr drive back from the store (we lived in a remote community then), just before he went to bed, he said that he'd really like to have another foil balloon. I said that I didn't think we'd ever had a foil balloon before (I've never purchased one and I'm allergic to latex, so we haven't had balloons in general). He corrected me and said that our friend S gave him one when we lived in that apartment in K-city, and that it floated up to the ceiling and he couldn't reach it even though he tried, but then I pulled it down for him and he really loved that balloon. Huh?

So, I dug up photos, and called my friend S, and after exchanging lots of details and timelines, she confirmed that she had brought her leftover balloon from her birthday party to give to ds1 because she thought he'd like it.

Ds1 is 5.5 yrs presently. This conversation happened the December of 2008, making him 4.5 yrs old. He received the only foil balloon he's ever had when he was 10 months old!!!

This 'event' was clearly not significant enough to me to remember, so I doubt we've talked about it since the day he had the balloon. Of course, I can't verify that, but given my complete aversion to nostalgia, I am confident that the likelihood of such a discussion, if I don't remember it, is nil or next to it.

Six months later, our friend came to visit us, and ds1 brought up the balloon and described the imagery on it perfectly.

I shouldn't be astounded, really. He remembered for years where we hung the broom in the kitchen of a place we lived in for two months when he was 11 months old.

Ds2 remembers people and names like ds1 remembers details, and ds3 remembers methodology without error, after seeing or doing anything once. The babe clearly also has an amazing memory, but being the least verbal of our boys, it's difficult to describe outside the context of daily living.

Before a health crisis, I had an eidetic/photographic memory. I used to 'study' by looking at pages in my textbook before an exam and then I'd read them for the first time in my memory as they appeared on the page. It seems that ds1 has this sort of memory too. The oddest thing is that even when I had that ability, I have never been able to 'see' human faces in my memory- even of my family members.

Needless to say, with a family of elephants, I am very quick and forthright in asking for forgiveness for my blunders!

[Freeman]

DS' memory constnatly amazes me, esp. with directions and, as others have said, layouts of buildings that he has been in years ago. Also with books - We can get a stack of books from the library, and he has them memorized after reading them once or twice. This works out well at the grocery store, where he can be a human grocery list - esp. considering I feel like I can't remember anything these days!

[becoming]

Originally Posted by eepster

It would seem you have a pretty good memory too, since you knew she was right.

I have a photographic memory when it comes to two things: clothing and food. I remember *everything* that everyone has worn to anything remotely important, and I remember things that I and others have ordered in just about every restaurant I've ever been to (including meals from vacations 10+ years ago). I guess she got it honest!

[isaoma]

The most amazing recall dd has had (she's 2.5) happened last fall after a nap. We were cuddling after she woke up and she asked me what happened to her belly button. I asked her what she meant, she thought for a second pointed to our curtain rod and said "it used to look like the curtain rod" (we have a thick wood curtain rod.) Then she continued "it was long and that man cut it off." : I asked her where was mama? She answered "you were laying down" (it was true, I hemorrage right after birth so I was laying down and couldn't hold her right away). She then continued that "I didn't know you then"

I would have thought that I imagined the conversation, but dh was in the hall listening.

[nettieferg]

Originally Posted by isaoma

The most amazing recall dd has had (she's 2.5) happened last fall after a nap. Then she continued "it was long and that man cut it off." : I asked her where was mama? She answered "you were laying down" (it was true, I hemorrage right after birth so I was laying down and couldn't hold her right away).

I want to say "that is not possible" -- (but then, I am a veteran of getting told that, myself, by people who aren't familiar with GK), so, I just have to say *WOW* . . . this should almost be dually posted on the 'You know your child is different when' thread :-)

If she remembers post-birth, it would be interesting to ask her what she remembers from your pregnancy, or the birthing process! How cool to be able to add details from her earliest days to the baby book!!! :-)

[QueenOfThePride]

Originally Posted by isaoma

The most amazing recall dd has had (she's 2.5) happened last fall after a nap. We were cuddling after she woke up and she asked me what happened to her belly button. I asked her what she meant, she thought for a second pointed to our curtain rod and said "it used to look like the curtain rod" (we have a thick wood curtain rod.) Then she continued "it was long and that man cut it off." : I asked her where was mama? She answered "you were laying down" (it was true, I hemorrage right after birth so I was laying down and couldn't hold her right away). She then continued that "I didn't know you then"

I would have thought that I imagined the conversation, but dh was in the hall listening.

I remember being born also. But it's a memory of just sensations, that I was not able to put into context until I gave birth. But I remember thinking about it from about age four and wondering what the heck it was. Also when I watched my newborn have the startle reflex I could remember what that felt like. It's weird to have such physical memories, it's like the memory is held only in my body, not in my brain.

I also have rather photographic memory, in high school I could read my notes in my head while taking tests. And I remember when my mom showed me how a tape recorder works, and I think I was only about 12 months old. I was wearing a purple dress with lots of white frills. We were sitting on her bedroom floor and she had a black squarish box with a big circle on the front filled with smaller circles. She held the box up to me and said, "Say hi, (my name)." So I said, "Say hi (my name)." And then I heard a voice from in the box and I was fascinated, it was like I could feel my brain suddenly rivet focus on the box. I kept talking into it, saying hi over and over. I thought I was talking to someone, like a phone. It was my own voice played back to me, but I didn't know that. I can remember everything from that moment, the scratchy brown carpet, the maroon vase full of silk flowers and peacock feathers, my parents' bed and purplish blanket, their dark brown dressers. The curtains were drawn so it was kind of dark in there. Many years later, when I was about 11 or so, I found that old tape recorder in a closet, and was like, "Hey, I remember this!" I hadn't seen it since I was a baby.

[nettieferg]

Originally Posted by QueenOfThePride

It's weird to have such physical memories, it's like the memory is held only in my body, not in my brain.

Not weird at all! I really like the way you described this --- I wonder if more of us have this, it is just something that I had not figured out how to put into words ---- very apt description (and nice writing! :-) -- I know that 'smells' is one of my huge mental triggers, as well as objects -- I don't know, maybe it IS weird, but for me it seems normal --- oh, well.

[QueenOfThePride]

Originally Posted by nettieferg

Not weird at all! I really like the way you described this --- I wonder if more of us have this, it is just something that I had not figured out how to put into words ---- very apt description (and nice writing! :-) -- I know that 'smells' is one of my huge mental triggers, as well as objects -- I don't know, maybe it IS weird, but for me it seems normal --- oh, well.

It's funny, because I can't always remember it when I want to. I have to somehow focus inside my body to bring out the sensations in order to remember and feel them again. The sensations came like flashbacks very frequently during both of my pregnancies. Actually I think they were triggered by pregnancy hormones, which would have been in my bloodstream at the time of my own birth.

[AllisonR]

Originally Posted by isaoma

The most amazing recall dd has had (she's 2.5) happened last fall after a nap. We were cuddling after she woke up and she asked me what happened to her belly button. I asked her what she meant, she thought for a second pointed to our curtain rod and said "it used to look like the curtain rod" (we have a thick wood curtain rod.) Then she continued "it was long and that man cut it off." : I asked her where was mama? She answered "you were laying down" (it was true, I hemorrage right after birth so I was laying down and couldn't hold her right away). She then continued that "I didn't know you then"

I would have thought that I imagined the conversation, but dh was in the hall listening.

Great story. I think they really miss the umbilical cord, kwim? DS told me about his birth last month:
DS: Mom, do you remember that? (pointing at my belly cast)
Me: Yes, that's when you were in my belly.
DS: Do you remember? Before I was in daycare I was in your belly. Then I came out. I came out of your penis. (he laughs). No. Or I came out of your bottom. (laughs again)
Me: Actually you came out of my yoni. (actually he was ripped out of my belly with an e c-section, but I WISH he had come out of my yoni.)
DS: Yea. Can you remember? Then I was upside down. And then the water came out and the water fell down ALL OVER the floor. Then there was a long snake in your belly. Then I came out. No, then there was not a snake. Then there was poo all over. Inside your belly, I think?
Me: No, there was not poo in my belly. (though he shit all over as soon as he came out)
DS: Yea, well OK.

[becoming]

Originally Posted by QueenOfThePride

I also have rather photographic memory, in high school I could read my notes in my head while taking tests.

Me too! One of my tricks was to alternate colors of pens and cursive/print on each paragraph so I could remember specifically what the writing looked like while taking the test.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by QueenOfThePride

I remember being born also. But it's a memory of just sensations, that I was not able to put into context until I gave birth. But I remember thinking about it from about age four and wondering what the heck it was. Also when I watched my newborn have the startle reflex I could remember what that felt like. It's weird to have such physical memories, it's like the memory is held only in my body, not in my brain.

I don't remember my birth, but I do remeber certain things as physical sensations. There was a park my mom used to take us to when we were kids starting from my grandmothers house. This place was in the other direction from my GM's house than our house, and in an area I didn't know any of the surrounding streets or even all of the town names. So, I didn't have a map of the area in my head like I do for most places I know how to get to, and I never remember street names. Yet when as an adult I had a desire to go there, with then boyfriend now DH, I just drove to GM house and could drive there. It's almost like the feeling is inside my chest as to how it feels to get there. I couldn't possibly give anyone verbal directions to this place, but I might have been able to dance the directions the way honey bees do to tell the hive where to find the good eats.

There are other places like that for me. I don't really know where they are, but I remember how it feels to get there.

[babygirl24]

I have memories of things that happened at an apartment when I was young. We moved to a house when I was about 18 months, so these are before that.

DD who is 5 (6 next month) made references to something that happened before she turned 3. Actually the funny thing is none of us can remember exactly how old she was when it happened. LOL We just know it was before we moved the house we are currently in and she was 2 1/2 at that time.

[expecting-joy]

I don't have time to post any good stories now, but can I just say

I LOVE THIS FORUM!

Everywhere else I feel insane. Here I feel like I'm normal and my kids are normal and all is right with the world.

[Landover]

This is interesting. DS has always had a tremendous memory. It kind of freaks me out sometimes. What always amazed me was when he would talk about a memory he had of a time before he had speech. For example, I taught university courses when he was one. He stayed with one of my grad students. He stopped seeing her when he was about 16 months old. About a year later he saw a picture in a book of a small dog and said that it looked like Jenna's dog. He then proceeded to tell me all about Jenna's house, her nephew he met a few times, etc. Interestingly, at that time, he probably didn't even say the dog's or the nephew's name.

He also seems to have a great ability to recall places. We pulled into a resturant in a neighboring town the other day. He told me that he went their with Daddy and Grandpa (this resturant is nothing special - just a run of the mill fast food resturant). I corrected him (I really should know better by now). I asked DH about it, and he said that they did stop there when the went to the lake. This was when my DD was born 8 months ago. He does that kind of thing quite often.

[QueenOfThePride]

I just looked up some articles on photographic memory, and they all had a little blurb saying that we don't really know if it's possible that photographic memory truly exists.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

And then it hits me how expansive is the realm of human ability in all directions.

Stunning.

And I don't just mean high achievement or special talents...

There are people that don't have photographic memory, and just can't even believe it's real. What can I not understand, that is very obviously real to others? There must be lots.