The impatient wait for the Magi, the birthday parties, the visit to the zoo, the holidays in the village or on the beach ... We are made of small and big moments, of memories. We are what they are, although we do not normally remember what we have experienced before three years: of our first steps, the first laugh, the first "mom" and "dad", the first meal on the plate, even the first swim in the sea ...
The so-called child amnesia is a whole paradox, because it occurs despite the enormous capacity of learning of the human being during the first years of life, when neurons begin to establish connections between them at an unrepeatable speed and the brain reaches its maximum plasticity.
There are various theories and hypotheses to respond to the phenomenon of childhood amnesia, but none conclusive. According to Freud, childhood memory does exist, what happens is that it is repressed The neurological hypothesis He attributes this amnesia to the mass production of new neurons in the first years of life, which would prevent memories from being fixed and stored stably.
The 'pasta memory' theory
Other scientists argue that our thinking is based on the language, so that as long as it is not fully developed, it will not be possible to retain memories, without forgetting the theory of pasta memory. According to this one, the children they are able to keep memories since they are very young, but they forget them more easily by not contextualizing them with data.
One of its authors, the psychologist Patricia Bauer, explains it with the simile of Pasta strainer Early memories are tiny and sneak through the strainer holes. As we grow, the memories (the pasta) get bigger and no longer escape us.
According to Bauer, these first memories can be contextualized by the parents themselves. In other words, remembering certain events to children helps to add ingredients and that the paste "becomes sticky" so that it is not lost through the strainer holes.
An 'app' to save children's first memories
Recover what we do not remember, what we have done and what we have been, allows us get to know ourselves better and, as a consequence, be happier adults. Precisely, with the goal that your children can relive your first experiences and emotions StepsLife is born. It is a mobile app which allows to conform the time capsule of their lives even before they are born, through an email account in the name of the children to which they are sending text messages, images, audios and videos.
From StepsLife they claim that it is private and secure: you can invite family and friends to share with your children the unique memories they have of them. The parents will see at all times what the child receives, while the invited members will only have access to what they send.
Remember is to live again and another advantage offered by this app is that you can find those special moments anytime and in a simple way: by age, date or location.
In addition, these contents belong only to you and you can download, when you want, all the content and share it with grandparents, uncles or friends with all those small and big steps that have made your son what he is.
When you grow up will enjoy and I am sure that you greatly appreciate that those tiny, fleeting and unrepeatable early memories have not gone forever through the holes in the pasta strainer.
Photos: iStock | shalamov | joingate | SaferTim
