When was your earliest memory? Is it different for boys and girls?

Question

I've always wondered what age people start remembering things. I've asked friends and I find girls remember things from earlier - is this true?
How old were you and what is your gender?

Answer 1

My earliest memory is over two but probably before three. My uncle stood me up against a wall while we were playing at my grandmother's house. I know it was this early, because my uncle died in a boating accident.
Memories are very dependent upon language development in that you cannot report on memories before you have language, although you can have feelings that you cannot explain. Language is even used for storing memories. Since girls generally develop language a little earlier than boys, they may have earlier memories, but there is not much of a difference. This is basically supposition since I do not really know any research that answers this question.

Answer 2

My first black eye at three. I used to think it was from a baseball bat. Now, I remember it was the bathroom door knob. I also remember the implants too. But, that's another story. As far as I know I have always been a male.I'm not sure about my past lives though. I'm not sure if this is a gender issue. But, I could understand how people recall their childhood memories for their parenting skills or lack thereof.

Answer 3

I am a woman of 42 years and my first memory was when I was 5 and it was my first day at scool. I remember the whole day, my teacher and how she was with me.
I think some people are better at remembering things than others, as my brothers and sisters say they cannot remember much at all from childhood, but I do.

Answer 4

I have memories of my first home and we moved out of there when i was three so must have been before then. I have clear memories of someone giving me some cheese to eat and me spitting it out because it was horrible! (I like cheese now!) Also I can remember sitting on some stairs playing with an old clock and some boys trying to get it off me and my dad telling them off. This was all before I was three. The flat doesn't exist any more and yet I can still see it as it was when we lived there and yet I was so very young it's really quite incredible.

Answer 5

I remember exactly where my toy cupboard was, I remember walking my sister to school & being confused as I could see the moon at 9am & I can remember my parents arguing in the lounge of the same house...these were all while we were living in a town we moved from when I was 3.

Unless the name hasnt given it away Im female.

I've spoken to my partner about this before & he has vivid memories of when he was a similar age.

Answer 6

Male, aged under 4, I remember our dog jumping down from its chair in the living room and collapsing, I said "mum, Brandy's hurt". Never saw her again as she'd had a heart attack.

Wouldn't most early memories be associated with a "big" event?

Answer 7

I remember when I was about 3 standing against a wall in the burning hot sun and wishing that I could take my swimming costume and skin off because it was so hot.

My step daughter actually remembers things from when she was just turned two.

Answer 8

Female, earliest memory is around age two. I remember sitting on the floor looking up at my Grandpa in his rocker, I remember his glasses and his smile. He died when I was two, so that's how I can pinpoint the timeline.

Interesting question!!

:)

Answer 9

I was about 3 (or maybe earlier?) and I can remember sitting in my high chair watching my mom make dinner. It must have been around Easter because she gave me a little bag of Hershey's candy covered chocolate eggs to nibble on. I used to call them Eggies. Haha it's funny to think we can remember back so far, and how different we've become. :)

Answer 10

I remember my sister being born as if it were yesterday. I was 2 and a half at the time, and that was over 40 years ago.