The first few years of life are incredibly important. During these years, attachment to loved ones is formed and we begin to explore the world. But, as a rule, we do not remember anything about this period. In fact, most of us don’t remember. What does children’s memory depend on and how to form the first memories of your children?
The phenomenon of the absence of early childhood memories has been studied since the end of the 1916th century. In XNUMX, Sigmund Freud commented on the “phenomenal amnesia of childhood” which he attributed to sexual trauma. More recent research shows that the quality of early memories depends on the family and culture in which we grew up.
Be like Majori
Psychologist Shelley MacDonald of the University of Otago in New Zealand and colleagues conducted a study of early childhood memories.1 among New Zealanders of European, Maori and Asian descent.
It turned out that Asians remember themselves on average from four and a half years, Europeans – from three and a half, and representatives of the Maori – from two and a half years. Researchers attribute this to the richness of Maori oral culture, which attaches great importance to the past. “People say: “Maori walks into the future backwards and turning to face the past.” We hypothesized that a cultural focus on the past might be reflected in a home setting that encourages conversation about past events,” says Shelley McDonald.
The bigger the family, the brighter the memories
Similar study2 conducted by psychologist Federica Artioli. The respondents were Italians. She found that those who grew up in large Italian families – with grandparents, uncles and aunts – have earlier and richer memories than those who were raised only by mom and dad.
If you have young children, tell them stories often. And don’t forget to get the whole family involved.
In a study by Federica Artioli and her colleague Elaine Reese3 it turned out that children whose parents divorced before they were seven years old have the same early age of memory as Maori and Italians – two and a half years. “Perhaps when a child is surrounded by a large family (and divorce also leads to the fact that he communicates with more relatives), he hears more family stories and forms earlier memories,” explains Elaine Reese.
Stress or fairy tales
However, there are other likely reasons: the separation of parents turns the world of a small child upside down, and emotional stress becomes an anchor for early memories.
Elaine Reese attributes her interest in early childhood memories to her grandmother’s wonderful fairy tales and stories. She herself grew up in a family rich in oral traditions, and recalls her early years with pleasure. So if you have small children, tell them stories. And don’t forget to include the whole family in it.
1 S. MacDonald et al. «Cross-cultural and gender differences in childhood amnesia», Memory, 2000, № 8(6).
2 F. Artioli et al. «The people I grew up with»: the role of sociodemographic factors in early memories in an Italian sample», Memory, 2012, № 20 (2).
3 F. Artioli, E. Reese «Early memories in young adults from separated and non-separated families», Memory, 2014, vol. 22, № 8.