S/O- At what age did you retain your first memories?

[HMDocsLady]

I can describe my house from when I was around 4-5. I know I have very clear memories of 5 and older when we moved to Newton. But we lived in several places before I was 5 but I can clearly describe our house in Hingham which we lived in starting at age 4. And several memories of kindergarten.

[cutebluebaby]

I remember getting into a new car that my parents had bought, and telling my dad to hold on to the balloon that a car salesman had given me. I guess dad didn't hear me, and I let go of the balloon as it went up and away...

This came up in conversation not too long ago... I had just turned 1!

[cassieJJ]

I think my first would be around 3 years old, maybe 2 when we lived in Alaska and I got my boot stuck in the mud. I was so scared that a bear was going to get me and I didn't want to get my sock dirty.

[Rebeldream]

I remember sitting in my highchair eating vienna sausages. I remember what the kitchen looked like, where I was located in it, and who was sitting where at the table. I choked on a piece and I recall the feeling vividly. My dad crossed the kitchen in two steps, stuck his finger down my throat and fished the piece of sausage out, then my mom picked me up because I was crying.

I mentioned that memory to my mom once and she was totally shocked because that happened before I turned one. She couldn't remember my exact age, just that it was before my first birthday.

What's funny is that I have NO memories of my little brother as a baby and he was born when I was 4. I think I repressed them because I didn't like him much. LOL!!

[kaylabelle05]

I was between 1-1.5. I was in my room alone in a crib and NOTHING was in the room with me but my crib. I start screaming about something. My mom comes in and squishes a bug in my closet. I thought it was a dream for the longest time until I found remnants of the bug on my moms' slipper. Also when I was a bit older (7-8) my mom had brought out some clothes for my fav stuffed animal. I saw one and told her I remembered that outfit. My mom looked at me and said I wore that when I was 1. And the reason why nothing was in my room but my crib? My allergies were so bad that my mom had taken everything out that could collect dust.

My son remembered that my mom had a push-button lock system on her old car a couple of months ago. She sold it when he was 2y11mo.

[Rebeldream]

Originally Posted by ~Ryleigh's_Momma~ I'm really concerned that I need to start watching myself more now that my daughter is getting older....from embarrassing things like seeing us naked or using the BR, to even silly things like having a messy house...this sounds silly, but I don't want her remembering a messy house, ya know? Or even things like losing my temper and yelling at her....I need to kick that bad habit for good because I don't want her to remember that either

I forgot to add that while keeping your temper and yelling less are good goals, your DD really isn't going to care about the state of the house or nudity (unless you show her by example that it's an embarassing thing). Put your efforts into making good memories rather than preventing bad ones.

[JollyHolly]

My first memory was when I was about 3. We went to go pick out my new kitten, Lucy. We had gone in the pet shop several times and I had had my eye on her for awhile.

I didnt start having regular memories until about 4 1/2. My hubby says he remembers stuff from 6 or 7 months. He said he had just learned to sit up and was sitting in the kitchen playing with pots when he fell backwards and hit the tile floor. He said he can remember other memories from age 1, and even remember very vividly his sister's birth when he was 2 1/2. I'm so jealous! My memory is very fuzzy even at age 4 1/2 and 5.

[mlhmrsdds]

I remember my aunt taking me to meet my baby brother, I was 2.5. Then I don't remember anything until about 4 years old--crossing the street alone for the first time, playing with friends, etc. My most vivid memory that I know it all true (not constructed in part by pictures or stories) was my frist day of kindergarten, I got lost.

[mommy2kaitlyn]

My earliest real memory not just from stories is like age 4 i am pretty sure not anything younger. Mine is of the smell of the shop where wooden shoes in Holland are made. Also i kinda remember the smell of the cheese shop. Definitely remember more about the shoes for some reason.
Believe me a dirty house won't be kept for a while probably. I think you remember things that are important to you.
My mom totally forgot about me getting a bracelet at the Vietnam Memorial with an MIA's soldiers name on it. I was 12 I believe maybe 10 can't remember which trip would have to check pics. Anyway i remember getting it vividly. She can't believe she doesn't remember that.
While i hope my DD doesn't remember the pain of her surgery she will always remember her umbilical hernia from the scar and her finger getting smashed also cause of the scar..she was almost 4 with the hernia and 22mos with the finger.

[luvmybaby333]

My first memory was from about 1 year old. I only know this because I remembered a particular moment for many many years... and then finally saw a picture of that moment, and realized that I was still a fuzzy-headed baby. From my size and hair content, I would guess that I was probably about 15 months old. What's really crazy is the actual memory itself.

I was riding on my dad's lap in a fair ride. The ride was made of several helicopter type things that traveled at a lazy speed in the manner of a ****-eyed ferris wheel (kind of a diagonal path.) I remember looking at the other helicopters and seeing that the paint was splotchy and rusty. I remember thinking that the ride was old (from the rust) and that it would likely break and we would die. At the age of one. So I had the presence of mind to conclude that old meant dangerous, and danger could lead to death. Considering this: I firmly believe that infants and children comprehend WAY more than most people give them credit for. Way more.

Granted, my father was a paranoid schizophrenic... so he likely had mentioned such things before. He was afraid of many things, which were in turn passed on to me. But the point is I very clearly remember thinking those thoughts and seeing those things.

Another early memory (another one where I remember a specific thought) was of me and my father walking across a red brick street in Columbus. I was probably like 2. I remember looking at the ground and thinking: "If the day after tomorrow is 'the day after tomorrow' then what's the day after that and the day after that....?" Seems a little silly right now, but it is neat to look back and get a little peak into the way a toddler thinks and learns about the world.

I have many other early memories... mostly just little snippets of scenes, not so much the specific words other people said. All of these are from before the age of three. While I may not remember SPECIFIC words and such, I do remember many details... and the general gist of many adult conversations. I find it hard to imagine that some people I know have trouble remembering anything prior to kindergarten and such.

I will say that I suffered an extremely traumatic (physically and emotionally) event when I was about 3 years old. I remember the moments leading UP to the event... and I remember things that happened a couple hours afterward. But the actual event has been locked away in my memory safe for as long as I can remember. It makes no sense to me that people would only retain early memories or traumatic events... if anything, our minds would prefer to protect us from the stress and choose instead to block such memories from our conscious brain.

I guess everyone is different. I currently operate under the impression that my children can and will remember many things from these early years. It sucks sometimes... because I'm surely not a perfect mother... But hopefully the great moments will stand out as well. We shall see

ETA: LMAO... c0ck is bleeped out. I didn't even think of that. Anyways, the bleeped out part says c0ck-eyed. Perhaps I should have chosen another term, but I can't think of one now... so it stays. lol.