Lesson 1: Childhood Memories

Childhood memories cover the period from your early childhood up to your mid to late teens. Initially the memories will be a struggle to recollect (for most it was a long time ago!) but as you recall these memories it will become a wonderful trip down memory lane. This is generally the carefree time in your life when decisions were made for you and life revolved around friends, play and few responsibilities. To help you recall these memories you might want to dig out your childhood photos. Photos are a great memory jogger. Study each photo- who is in the photo, where was it taken, what can you see in the background, what are you wearing?
 
As we record our childhood memories, we are also recording history. Times have certainly changed from when we were children. Think about what life was like for your children growing up, or what life is now like for your grandchildren or great grandchildren. What we thought was a ‘normal’ childhood for us is quite unfamiliar to them. Take time to describe the differences, don’t assume that they will know.
 
Different childhood experiences are particularly important if you grew up in another country to your younger generations. Cultural differences and experiences need to be shared with them- customs, language, lifestyle, climate etc.
 
Your schooling is a big part of this stage in your life. We are going to focus on your schooling in Module 3. For this Module, I want you to focus more on your day to day life with your family. There is so much you can write here. We are going to break this up into four key areas. After you have completed your worksheets for this module you are welcome to add other childhood memories that weren’t covered that you would like to include in your story.  
 
First, we will look at your earliest childhood memory. This varies for everyone but most commonly occurs around the age of four. This memory is usually something you have experienced for the first time- a taste, a smell, a touch, a sound. It can also be a traumatic experience such as getting lost, or an experience that you just could not comprehend. It is interesting to spend some time thinking about this as it could make a good introduction to this chapter of your story.
 
We are then going to recall what your childhood world was like. This is typically the house or houses you lived in as well as your neighbourhood. Describe your house in terms of its physical appearance but also how it smelt (mum’s cooking, flowers in the garden), touch (the bindi’s in the lawn, the soft carpet), sounds (the railway line, the busy street). Close your eyes and walk through your childhood home, describe what you see. Often our childhood homes were small- siblings shared rooms, the toilet was out in the back yard. What was your backyard like, this was your playground. Then head out into the neighbourhood and describe what that was like. If you moved houses, or countries, describe how you felt moving from one neighbourhood to another and how those houses and neighbourhoods differed.

Next, we are going to look at recreation, how did you spend your leisure time? Think about special toys your loved playing with- who gave them to you, how old were you, what did you love about them? What games did you play- these could include board games, outdoor amusements or even imaginative play? Who did you play with? Where did you play?
 
How were you entertained? What sort of radio programmes, TV shows or movies do you remember watching or listening to as a child? What did you like about them? As you got a little older what sort of music did you listen to, what sort of books did you like to read?
 
What sort of hobbies and interests did you have as a child? This question will be asked again in your adult memories. It is interesting to contemplate what hobbies and interests have stayed with you throughout your life. What organisations were you part of as a child- why did you attend, what were they about, where were they located, when did you attend, who went with you? Did you enjoy participating or were you simply involved because your parents or siblings were involved?
 
Did you play sport as a child? If so, what? What did you like about your sport, where did you play, who did you play with, when did you play? We will discover later in your story if your love of this sport continued into your adulthood.
 
Recreation is more often than not shared with friends, or even cousins. Who did you play with? You may have mentioned them under hobbies, organisations or sport but go into a bit more detail here- how you met them, where they lived, why you got on, how often you hung out together. Short term friendships vs long term friendships vs lifelong friendships. Interesting or funny stories can be shared here- situations you may have gotten yourselves into, secrets that may be now safe to share, adventures taken together.
 
Next, we want to explore more about your family times during your childhood years. What did daily life look like in your family?  This is a natural extension of what you would have started in Week 1. You may also want to consider moving some of your jottings to this section if more appropriate. How was your relationship with your parents? How was your relationship with your siblings? Sibling rivalry is commonplace but be sensitive to how and what you write, it is likely that your siblings or even their children will read your story. You don’t want to create a family rift by telling hurtful stories or revealing unnecessary family skeletons.
 
Did you have pets? If so- what sort, what were their names? What fond, funny, sad memories do you have of your pets?
 
Did you have chores? If so-what, how often did you need to complete these chores. Were you rewarded for completing your chores? If you earned pocket money, what did you like to spend it on?
 
Where did you like to go as a family? This could be regular day outings or even holidays? How did you get there? Describe the experience. Any interesting stories to share?
 
How did your family celebrate birthdays when you were a child? Did you ever have a birthday party? Can you recall any special gifts? Think of how children celebrate their birthdays today and contrast this to how you celebrated.
 
How was Christmas celebrated in your childhood family? What sort of Christmas traditions did you have? Can you recall a specific Christmas, what made this different?
 
What other traditions did your family have?
 
What was your relationship like with your grandparents and extended family? Who were you close to? What were family gatherings like?