How toddlers remember: growing and learning through life experiences
When you ask your toddler what they’ve been doing in their day, it can be hard for them to think. They may say they’ve been doing nothing or that they simply don’t know, yet they are able to remember things from a while ago and tell you about them out of the blue; this is because their memory and language skills are still developing.
Memories are formed by neurons that fire in our brains
Neurons are responsible for carrying information around the body. Groups of neurons are inter-connected by synapses, and they all have different jobs.
Some neurons help us form memories, and when your toddler thinks about or does something, the connections between groups of neurons become stronger.[1]
So, when your toddler processes an event, such as going to the beach, the connections between the groups of neurons associated with that experience strengthen every time their brain connects sights, sounds, movements, people and events, related to that experience.
And as they go through life, different experiences change the connections between neurons, which helps them form memories.[1]
Toddlers actually remember a lot – you'll probably know this well by now when they suddenly pop up with a gem of a memory from nowhere and you are taken aback by the fact they remembered, and you have no idea why!
Part of this is because they are getting better at organising and processing information in a way that makes a memory out of an experience. These memories are then accessed at what might seem like unpredictable times when in reality, they are most probably triggered by what your toddler is doing in that moment.
Seeing something out of the window or hearing a sound, can all of a sudden spur them on to talk about something that happened months ago.
The information they recall may not always flow in the correct order
When they remember things, they won’t always remember everything that happened and in what order,[2] and sometimes their memories may even be a jumbled account of a few different occasions. Let’s say your toddler enjoyed a trip to the park last month, when they talk about what they did there, they might tell you about what they remember, but the events won’t have necessarily happened in that order.
A study suggests that this is because our memories are not formed in a continuous stream and that information is split into individual events.[3] So when there are more changes in a short time frame, they are less likely to remember the exact sequence of events – this is true for adults too.
For example, if your toddler went to the park and played on the slide, then they stopped for a drink before going on the climbing frame, then they went for a walk before going home, it would be harder for them to remember the order they did everything in.
Your toddler’s brain is still maturing, and their memory processes are not yet fully developed
Repetition can be helpful for your toddler when it comes to remembering things. When they talk about events or experiences repeatedly, it can help to reinforce those memories and make them more likely to stick.
To help your toddler remember what has happened before, try talking to them about their experiences and ask them questions to help them reflect on what they have done. Repetition and conversation can both be helpful ways of building your toddler’s memory.
Talking can also help to build their language skills and having more words and understanding can help create stronger neural connections.
References:
[1] Queensland Brain Institute. How are memories formed? University of Queensland. Accessed 27/2/2023.
[2] Zheng, J., Chen, G., Kreiman, G., and Rutishauser, U. (2023) Little Memory Editors Living Inside Your Brain. Front. Young Minds. 11:968856. doi: 10.3389/frym.2023.968856
[3] Zheng, J., Schjetnan, A.G.P., Yebra, M., Gomes, B.A., Mosher, C.P., Kalia, S.K., Valiante, T.A., Mamelak, A.N., Kreiman, G., Rutishauser. U. (2022) Neurons detect cognitive boundaries to structure episodic memories in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2022 Mar;25(3):358-368. doi: 10.1038/s41593-022-01020-w.