Small Memories

As children, most of us have had a conversation with a grownup that began with, “Tell me about when you were little.” I remember having conversations like that with my grandparents and parents. Here are a few tips to help you talk to a child in your life.

This small event can be very meaningful for children. It was during these conversations that I learned to listen, relate to others, find common ground, and many other things. As an adult, I can see how these visits into the past fostered a sense of belonging within my family, pride in my heritage, and respect for my elders, just to mention a few things.

In order to help you make the most of these moments with a child in your life, here are a few suggestions.

1. Don’t wait for a child to ask you to tell them about when you were little. - Work it in during everyday conversations. This could be done on the way to the grocery store, while playing a game together, during commercials, at bedtime, or any number of other times.
2. Make a note of things you did when you were little. - Keep a notebook with short reminders of memories. This could be notes as simple as: a) made mud pies b) played hopscotch c)swam in pond, etc.
3. Share old photos. - If you haven’t already, put together several photo albums to share. You can do this in any way you’d like. One of the ways we found to be helpful was making a photo album to cover several broad time frames. For instance, you could have one for a) Parents, grandparents & older relatives b) Your childhood/school years c) Your adult life.

To sum it up, make the most of every opportunity to talk with a child about your past and show them as many visual prompts as possible. If you have any more ideas, please feel free to reply and share.

More Resources:

See the Spring Activity related to this topic: When You Were Little - Activity

Note: I found a great little book to get the ball rolling. It was one of the favorites around my house for many many bedtime stories. I hope you and the child in your life love it as much as we did.

When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth

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