Why We Don’t Remember Our Childhood Well
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Can you imagine how amazing it would be if you could remember what it felt like to be in your mother’s womb. Or the places you visited in your first year of life? They say that our experiences and personalities are shaped during childhood, but how ironic is it that we can barely remember half of it? People often find it hard to remember anything that happened to them in their early childhood years and we’re here to tell you why. This phenomenon that applies to so many of us actually has an official term and is called childhood amnesia ((1)). As we grow up, we forget the people, events, and even places we’ve encountered as kids. If you’ve ever wondered if the memories you have of your childhood are real or not or just can’t recall anything before the age of 5, we’re here to tell you why. Read on to know more!
In This Article
How Our Memories Work
The memories often connected to our lives during the period between 3 to 7 years old are fragmentary, which is why people usually find it hard to recall them or remember exactly what happened during their childhood. This phenomenon is called “infantile amnesia” ((2)). And although it may seem like the reason for remembering our early years so badly is because infants and toddlers don’t have a fully developed memory, this may not be the whole reason. Especially because babies upon reaching the age of 6 months have the ability to form not only short term memories but also long-term ones that last for weeks and sometimes even months. The crux of the issue is that the capabilities of memory at this age are far from the ones that adults have. This is why the most likely theory that many scientists offer as an answer to the question of the prevalence and cause of infantile amnesia is the influence of age-related processes of memory development.
When Does Childhood Anemia Occur ?
Childhood amnesia is the inability of adults to recall the details of events or even full events that happened to them before the age of 4 and this happens to most people. However when it fully occurs is unclear. Some researchers found that children before the age of 7 are able to remember “60% or more of their early-life events,” whereas 8 and 9-year-olds could only remember up to 40% ((3)). But this isn’t just a question of forgetting things as we grow older. After all, a 30 year old still remembers what they did when they were 15 or even 10. So why can’t we retain the memories we make in the earliest years of our life? The experiment allowed researchers to realize that as we go through different stages of our development, the less we remember from what preceded it.
Another Huge Factor To Consider Is Language
One of the main theories present as to why we don’t and can’t store our infant memories is that we couldn’t communicate verbally at the time. Think about it. When we try to recollect something that’s happened in the past and retrieve a memory, we use words. We tend to describe these memories in a lot of detail and remember specific things that happened at the time which requires the skill of language. Most babies don’t start talking before the age of 2, so they’re simply unable to create a cohesive memory. However, after the age of 6 children gradually move to fully speaking their native language which can result in serious changes occurring in their verbal communication. Thus, the child starts to use the words of the past tense and words associated with memory, such as “remember” and “forget” in their speech.
Important Memories Leave A Lasting Impression
A famous child psychologist has said that ultimately children are more likely to retain memories that are filled with emotions which can be both positive and negative ((4)). This finding even allows young kids to provide eyewitness testimonies in court so it’s pretty important. Chances are, if you do retain a memory from your formative infant years it’s the one that holds the most significance for you and triggers a strong emotional response in you. This is also why many adults in their 30’s are more likely to remember their teenhood or young adult life than any other period in their life. As the events that occurred during this period usually have a strong impact on their perception of life and their identity formation.
Although we don’t have a definitive answer as to why we don’t retain and remember our childhood memories, we recall the few that we do have with fondness and a certain nostalgic sentimentality. What’s your favorite childhood memory? Let us know in the comments section!
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