Did you know? Random facts about children, none of which I feel like writing a whole post about

Ever have one of those weeks when you can't write one interesting thing? When every single word you write you want to erase before you even reach the end of the word? Have patience with me folks... I'm not sure what the problem is, but my blogging chutzpah is a little lagging. In the meantime, here are some interesting facts, all of which I COULD write about at length, if I could, you know, WRITE.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Autobiographical memory (memories about ourselves) doesn't begin until around the age of 3. (At least for the vast majority of people. I've heard of some rare cases of memory retrieval at INSANELY young ages).
• Autobiographical memory is one of the more fascinating characteristics that distinguish us from other animals
• Children as young as infants can distinguish attractive and non-attractive faces. And they "prefer" the former.
• Self-esteem and attractiveness are not related in childhood.
• Over-weight girls are teased more than under-weight girls. For boys, the pattern is the opposite.
• In the spirit of raising "free-range" kids, there are good arguments for allowing our children to engage in "dangerous things" for their healthy intellectual and emotional development.
• You may know that early puberty can cause more conflict in parent-child relationships. BUT!  Did you know that excess distance and high-level conflict between parents and their daughters can CAUSE the onset of puberty in girls?
• Play is vital... at all ages. It makes us smarter, happier, more successful and more creative. Allowing our children to play, as freely as possible, is one of the best things we can do for our children (but also for US!).

The ideas and links above have been thought-provoking for me (not that I can write in any depth about ANY of them right now). Any of them peek your interest?

-- Isabela

Comments

[Sheila]

I'm curious about how scientists study autobiographical memory, when people's memories are so flawed. It's hard for me to differentiate a real memory from a story I've heard my parents tell a million times or a picture I've seen of myself as a child.

One memory that I'm pretty sure is real is of visiting the hospital to see my new baby sister (I was almost exactly three). The reason I think it's real is that in my memory, I'm walking down a hall holding my dad's hand, and to do so my arm is pretty much straight up in the air because I'm so little. That seems real, at least, but who knows for sure. So I'm wondering how scientists can "know" anything about our memories when they can never completely trust the source of the memory!

[fahmi]

Now that my older child is on the tail end of 3 (almost 4!) I am seeing how he is beginning to have memories of things he's done, and it's amazing. I am stunned at how he remembers things from a year ago, but I assume that will go away soon, and he will settle into normal memory.

I read the "Free Range" blog, but it's not very scientific so any scientific basis of letting kids be kids will be appreciated. As well as play.

I sympathize with the inability to really get any kind of writing done...so no rush. I can wait!

[Beth]

Very cool to read about the autobiographical memory! I'm wondering if tramua can trigger the start of the majority of people's memories? (My very first memory of myself is sitting int he back of my parents car holding my chin tightly as it was apparently bleeding badly from being split open. I remember looking out the car going to the hospital.) I've heard other details of that incident but don't recall them in an autobiographical way. It's always made me wonder.

PS - does this mean that my 19 month daughter won't really remember Christmas this year?

[Cloud]

I think it is wild that the memories our daughter (2.5 years old) recounts to us now- about our vacation in May, for instance- will all "disappear" at some point. That is just weird.

[paola]

The fact that children as young as 4 months prefer 'attractive' faces to 'unattractive' ones seems logical if we consider that attractiveness denotes health and fertility which gives an advantage in partner selection and therefore procreation.

My son was besotted from a very young age by a very good looking friend of mine. He literally only had eyes for her when she was in the room. Now at 5 his tastes have changed though. Of all our friends, he prefers one that is less attractive, but a real laugh who likes to kid around and have fun. Here's hoping that that doesn't change.