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How well do you remember your childhood? (if at all)

  • 16-07-2015 05:29PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭


    I'm just curious about how much the average adult can remember their childhood. I've always felt I was able to recall memories from my childhood in better detail than most other people. I’m in born in 1986 and I can for example, remember all the years of the 1990s in terms of which year in school I was in, who my teacher was, who my friends were at that time etc. I can recall individual conversations, even from as young as 4/5/6 and recall a lot of my childhood in reasonably good detail. If see the year '1994' for example, even though I was only 8, I can recall what I was doing, where I was roughly etc.

    But I’m under the impression a lot of people (possibly most people) can’t do this, and some people have no recollection of their childhood at all. I was speaking to a guy recently who would occasionally mock me for how well I can recall individual memories as in “how on earth do you remember that??” sort of thing. He would claim that people who remember a lot from their childhood are usually people who have had uninteresting adult lives as their adult lives are so dull they haven’t yet replaced/pushed out those memories they had when they were a child. In my case he’s probably correct lol, so great childhood recollection = crap adult life = dull twat.

    I’m going to poll this, even though it’s going to be fairly vague, I just want a rough idea. So poll options range from great, remember all the years of your childhood in great detail, to fairlygood recollection, remember most things, most years fairly well, and really bad for someone who only has half a dozen memories at most before the age of 12 etc.

    How well can you recall your childhood? 141 votes

    Very well - I can recall almost all/a lot of my childhood in great detail
    0% 0 votes
    Fairly well - I can remember most things from my childhood quite well, detail sometimes lacks
    33% 47 votes
    Not great - I have rough outline of memories from my childhood, but nothing more
    32% 46 votes
    I have very little or absolutely no recollection at all of my childhood whatsoever
    34% 48 votes


«13

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


    I have some pretty clear memories, but its mostly nothing till 10 years old.
    I remember the first film I saw in the cinema, some birthday parties, thats about it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    I remember it like it was yesterday. I fell a bit like Uncle Albert when I start telling the tales from those years, everybody rolls their eyes and walks away.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 588 ✭✭✭anti-venom


    Got a lot of memories from my early childhood although at times I wonder how accurate they are. Perhaps they have mutated over the years and been re-imagined. The memory is very fallible and pliable unfortunately.

    I don't think I have any memory of when I was fourteen for some reason. Just can't recollect anything from that year.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    Yeah, I remember a lot of the good stuff from about four onwards. Bad stuff is filtered out.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭Boring username


    I remember this great trick my grandad used to play. I would perch myself up on his lap, and somehow he was able to tickle me without using his hands. I never could figure out how he managed it....


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    Born in 1987. I can remember my classes in school and what teachers I had, beyond that though it's a bit of a hazy blur. It always seemed to be sunny when I was on my school holidays and I was always outside. Don't think my parents ever looked for me or wondered where I was half the time!

    My earliest memory I have is me being pushed in my pram I must have been about two or three and my brother ran in front of the pram and pulled a mooney in my face. Ah nostalgia. Brings a tear to the eye just thinking about it


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    Very little. In context was born in 1976. I couldn't really name most of my primary class or most teachers. Nor do I wish to. There's no way I remember an average day. Extraordinary days like school trips, or the snow in 1982 I remember, though young.

    It's recall rather than memory loss. When people start to reminisce it comes back to me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,486 ✭✭✭jobeenfitz


    Cant remember too much except getting guns n pouches and cowboy hat for Christmas, more than one occasion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 284 ✭✭Jan Laco


    I can remember alot. My earliest memory is being in a cot and walking up and I was shouting for my parents. I'm guessing I was 3.

    I remember walking into the potato crop when i was about in the garden and thinking it was a jungle.

    I remember going to Dublin zoo when I was 6 years old. My sisters wanted me to pretend I was 5 for a deal, but I was so proud to be 6 so I kept shouting it on the way there...but I hushed up at the ticket office.

    I could go on and on...yeah I remember everything.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭ToddyDoody


    We moved house when I was 4 making it a good marker for the earlier memories.

    The best I have is a few scenes out of a narrative.

    I can remember putting Mr freeze bits on my stomach with the (similarly aged) neighbour. I haven't done that since.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    I was 3 when my uncle got home after being in the war in Burma and I can clearly recall the excitement, the tears and the party.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭dd972


    Tend to go back using Football moments, I can recall the 1978 World Cup Final if none of the tournament, remember the 1979 and 1980 FA Cup Finals, the 1980 Belgium v W.Germany Euro Final.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,535 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Childhood stuff I remember very well.

    Generally remember a lot of world events from mid 80s onwards. However watching Reeling in the Years regularly has me wondering if I remember some events from memory is it because I've seen those episodes a few too many times. :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭Buona Fortuna


    Born in the late 50s - I can remember a lot of stuff, but isn't it all subjective?

    Who comes along and says "what about blah." and "You forgot about that".


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,977 ✭✭✭SCOOP 64


    Depends on your age really, some of as have to go a lot further back to remember.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,046 ✭✭✭RayCon


    F**k all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 182 ✭✭Iopu


    Born in 1988. Up until about 3-4 I probably remember little or nothing. But after that I think I remember almost everything.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭Chain Smoker


    Ridiculously well, too well... always feel like a gigantic creep bumping into old classmates cos they're like "Ah, Chain Smoker, I think we were in the same class?" Meanwhile, I'm thinking "Yep, same class, we didn't talk to each other much though, you were a month and two days older than me, you lived across the road from the church, your phone number was 044-67890, you missed no days of school in 1998, you missed none again in 2001 asides from the last day, your childhood teddy bear was called Max, you supported Man Utd but I saw you in town wearing a Chelsea jersey a few years ago"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,282 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    Born in the early 1990's.
    I can remember bits from my childhood.
    One thing I do remember I live on a little road off the Dublin Road. It would have being very busy back then prior to the Motorways. One day when I was about 3/4. I remember there was a fatal accident when we were coming home from town and it was a neighbour that died.
    News rise I remember seeing Veronica Guerin's car on the Naas Road. John Gillinghan and Catherine Nevin in court. Also remember seeing Diana car in the tunnel a bit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    I remember Diana's death too. I shared a bed with my older sister and my mam came in to us in the middle of the night and said to my sister about Diana "Jesus they think she's dead" and in my comatosed state I thought they were talking about me!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    Ridiculously well, too well... always feel like a gigantic creep bumping into old classmates cos they're like "Ah, Chain Smoker, I think we were in the same class?" Meanwhile, I'm thinking "Yep, same class, we didn't talk to each other much though, you were a month and two days older than me, you lived across the road from the church, your phone number was 044-67890, you missed no days of school in 1998, you missed none again in 2001 asides from the last day, your childhood teddy bear was called Max, you supported Man Utd but I saw you in town wearing a Chelsea jersey a few years ago"

    That's nuts. Is it a curse or a blessing?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    anna080 wrote: »
    I remember Diana's death too. I shared a bed with my older sister and my mam came in to us in the middle of the night and said to my sister about Diana "Jesus they think she's dead" and in my comatosed state I thought they were talking about me!

    Yes. Of course everybody remembers big events. What else do you remember. Describe a Wednesday at school when you were 13? Some people can do that. I can't for sure.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,039 ✭✭✭✭retro:electro


    Yes. Of course everybody remembers big events. What else do you remember. Describe a Wednesday at school when you were 13? Some people can do that. I can't for sure.

    I already posted about the things I remember.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,147 ✭✭✭saintsaltynuts


    Born in 81.Remember Playschool. Remember my brother being born in 85.Remember Euro '88 well and crying when the Dutch knocked us out.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭Aineoil


    I was born in 1965. I an remember lots from my childhood. I remember my first day at school and all my teachers' names - both

    primary and secondary.

    I started school at 3 and 3/4. You could do that back then. One abiding memory I have is as a 6 year old in first class. Sister Luimarie

    was our teacher. On Tuesdays the class was split on a gender basis - the boys were taught singing and the girls knitting. I forgot my

    knitting one day and my punishment was to stay with the boys for the singing lesson. Even at 6 I thought it was the strangest

    punishment ever, because I adore singing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,237 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Bliss. I remember my childhood vey well. I grew up at the butt of a mountain in East Limerick, as free as a bird and as fast as the wind. My mother is a Samurai Lady, and my father, the Lord rest the good and kind man, was, I suppose you could call him a Preacher, in the Pale Rider sense! ;)


  • Posts: 6,691 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I lived in London until I was 3, and I can remember some things from before that. But very little! My brother was born 2 days after my 3rd birthday and I can remember that. Lived in France after that for a few years and I remember a lot of that.

    I can remember a good bit alright. Was born in 1989.

    I can remember about 5 of my childhood friend's landline phone numbers strangely enough!

    I remember Diana's death because RTE cancelled Sabrina The Teenage Witch for the evening..was gutted :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


    The only memory I have of say 9/11, was that it was the birthday of a teacher I didn't like, and I was annoyed cos ITV didn't show pokemon that afternoon since it was obviously 24 hours news.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭SharpshooterTom


    Born in the late 50s - I can remember a lot of stuff, but isn't it all subjective?

    Who comes along and says "what about blah." and "You forgot about that".

    It is subjective that's why I wasn't sure to put a poll in or not because how is having a "good" memory of your childhood measured? I just wanted a rough idea though.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,004 ✭✭✭Hammer89


    I remember the nurses laughing at the size of my knob when I was born.


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