What childhood memory do you remember?

Good Friend

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 3:12 pm

Earliest memory: Coming along with my mother to school (she’s a teacher) as she was helping with preparing a play. I very vaguely remember the scene- she had brought along a stuffed sheep of ours as a prop. I must have been a toddler or a baby.

Unfair memory: My brother and I were fighting in our bedroom like half an hour before Yomtov (I think we were like 6 and 5 or similar ages). My brother grabbed the strings from my dress that were there for tying a bow at the back, and swung me into the dresser. I got a big bruise right near my eye. I was furious and grabbed him by his tzitzis and swung him back. He hit the dresser on his eyelid and was bleeding. My parents had to quickly call a doctor to come glue it shut (the other option would be to go to the ER and be stuck for yomtov). My parents were very upset at me for all the trouble I caused but meanwhile he had started it- I was just trying to get him back.

Special memory- also at about 6 years old. I grew up on Shlichus and therefore didn’t get to spend much time with frum girls my age. We went to NY for a few weeks one summer and I went to a school day camp, and loved it; my bunk was so welcoming. The best part was a few days into camp was my birthday and I got to have the special experience of going to a kosher bakery before camp and buying cupcakes to share with my bunk.

Cheshire cat

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 4:29 pm

Possibly earliest memory:

First day of nursery. Another child bopped me (hard!) on the head with a large toy. I complained to the teacher, who sat behind a large desk.

The teacher, a pretty young thing, sat calmly, smiling widely and nodding as I unpacked my complaints. She was looking down at something on her desk, and seemed not to hear what I was saying! I looked closer, and realized that she was preoccupied with drawing a poster, and was simply making motions. She was completely tuned out. She then patted my hand and said "that's wonderful!"

I still remember how disconcerted I felt. There was a pit in my stomach as I walked away.

(I do remember also that I loved nursery, loved the teacher, despite this sorry beginning Smile

)

amother

Kiwi

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 4:42 pm

I remember my first day of a new school. I pulled out my markets and a kid made fun of them. I went home and insisted my mother buy the ones this kid has. My mother gave me a hard time but feeling bad for me and wanting me to fit in went out that night and bought those exact markers. Next day I came back to school all proud with my markers and that same kid made of them still. I remember thinking to myself wow shes nuts. And that was the last time I let someone else’s opinion effect me.

amother

Petunia

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 4:49 pm

I remember I had lice when I was three. My mother was picking my hair motzei shabbos promising me to go visit Bobby afterwords. I remember the view of the steps out of the house when we were done it was so traumatic. I can still hear my mother say don’t you ever wear ( girls name) hat again (remember those pull on those pull on ski masks lol)

amother

Slategray

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 4:55 pm

Having a nightmare and crying in middle of the night. My brother going out and making me a bottle and gently tucking me back in.
We shared a room at that point. I was young. No more than 3 or 4 and he was probably around 8.

Fighting with him like two ferral animals but he always made sure I wasn't really hurt even when he really was mad at me.

When I was sharing a room with my sister she used to tell me scary stories so that I'd also have nightmares like her.
My sister jumping on my stomach cuz she was angry with me. Me feeling like I'm seriously going to die. I was on the floor in my father's study. And while I was dianlly catching my breath telling me now I won't ever have any children like our relative because by jumping on my stomach she injured my baby making parts.

(Can you tell who I'm still close to?)

My mother going to visit my grandmother in another country and I went to my cousins house. And she slapped me for sicking my thumb and telling me I'm too old for bottle. Meanwhile her 18 year old daughter slept next to me and SUCKED HER THUMB.

The time we had so many guests, my brother sister and I slept on the dinning room rug around the table. Or another time we slept on a lot of quilts in the double wide part of the hallway. Shmoozed and laughed until the wee hours of the morning. Was so so fun! I was probably lying around 6 to 10 years then. (Happened often enough)

Or the time my parents hosted refugees and I got to learn about their cultures and different ways of practicing yiddishkeit. Different accents making brachos and additional syllables.
And also them learning/being fascinated with our culture. Especially the professional Jewish music scene. They've never heard recorded jewish music like we have in the free world.....

zaq

Fri, Aug 09 2024, 8:24 am

amother Kiwi wrote:

What a wonderful lesson to learn at such an early age! Some people learn it very late in life, and some never learn it at all.

amother

Sage

Mon, Sep 02 2024, 8:40 pm

My mother made me a birthday party one Sunday afternoon and my grandparents joined from another city. After my friends left, we were sitting outside and my grandmother commented how nice the party was and how happy I probably felt. Then I heard my father imitate my voice and say, “oh I just remembered that I have a lot of homework..” He told my grandparents that I’ll probably say that after everyone leaves and a nice day will be spoiled. I remember feeling so embarrassed by what he said but he was probably just trying to be funny. I probably talk about my kids sometimes in a way I shouldn’t so I don’t think he was trying to be mean.
A nice memory I have is my mother coming home from shopping at a department store and buying me a new doll and my brother a riding toy. This didn’t happen too often so I remember that evening very well.
And I remember my mother pushing a big baby carriage and I sat in a seat that was attached on top.