Part of the reason (okay, one of the primary reasons) I blog is to chronicle some of the sweet or funny moments in my young daughter’s life.
After all, she’s not a baby anymore.
(Where did my baby go?)
She will be seven soon.
Seven.
How did that happen?
Sadly, some of the only solid memories I have of my daughter as a baby come from photos, a few scribbled journal entries, and these blog posts.
I am hoping that she will remember all of the good times we shared together without the aid of printed posts, but alas that may not come to be.
Memory is complicated, delicate, and for many frazzled parents, it fades way too fast the older we get. However, if you have young children, it often seems that their capacity for memory is limitless. My daughter’s memory is phenomenal, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. However, experts are quick to point out that this gift doesn’t last forever.
Researchers at Emory University recently suggested that by the time kids enter teendom, they struggle to recall events that took place before they were three years old. What’s more, experts also noted that as we get older, our childhood memories fade even more.
Sad, right?
Well, there is some good news. Psychologists say their research shows that children whose mothers reminisce in great detail with them on a regular basis are able to retain childhood memories longer. What’s more, the kids displayed better coping skills and had higher self-esteem than youngsters whose moms neglected to consistently walk down memory lane with their children.
According to the experts, we “create a sense of who we are through these memories.”
So the next time your little guy begs you to share the story of his first steps, his first words, his first visit to the Easter Bunny or the time when he hid under the bed for so long you called 911 because you thought he escaped out the front gate, take a little time to do so in order to keep the memories alive… for both of you.