Do you remember your childhood the same as your sibilings?

C50

C50

Senior Member
Location
Ohio, USA
I know we all have certain memories imprinted in our minds from our childhoods, but have you ever discussed things with your sibilings and realized how different your memories are than theres? Even of certain events where you were all present? Or of things like your parents personalities? Than question whose memories are right?

I'm always surprised how different my sister and brothers memories are than mine. Most times I believe my memories are more accurate, if for no other reason than I'm the only one in my family to stop drinking at a young age.

Anyone else notice a difference in family memories?
 

My brothers and I love reminiscing, which probably indicates how lucky we were. We lived in the middle of five acres of West Virginia woods and pretty much ran wild all day, just going in for meals. We do all remember certain things that the others don't, usually things that we ourselves stared in. I guess the day (second birthday) when I got my teddy bear just wasn't as important to them. The boys have a vivid memory of meeting Chuck Yeager when he visited his sister, our nearest neighbor.

My oldest brother went to live in California when he was about 23 and took some confused memories with him that the rest of us didn't hear and straighten him out on until we were all old. For example he remembers my uncle who was a farmer coming to visit in the summertime, bringing along some fresh tomatoes and thinking it was because we were desperately poor and needed food.
 
My brother and I don't. I also have a brother over 11 years older than me who was out of the house when my mother married my stepfather and my mother's behavior escalated.

Because, I believe, my brother developed a personality disorder related to our childhood abuse, he sees things very skewered and is abusive himself.
 
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No my siblings live in their own world
some have made up stories for so long they no longer can tell what really happened and what they imagined.

i have not seen or spoken to them in years and doubt i ever will again...
i used to wonder how siblings brought up in same house/ same way could be so different but outside influences played a big deal...
I also know many people who like me seem to be the only one who is responsible while others made every bad choice they possibly could
 
We remember most of the events, details the same but we had different emotional responses to them. Example: We all knew we were were working class poor, but 2 of us (oldest and youngest/me) found ways to enjoy the good parts (rural poor, especially back then very different from city poor).
 
My only sibling, a brother, passed away almost 30 years ago. I wonder sometimes if we would have been close and seen things the same way. We both had problems with our father. He liked to play us against each other. My brother was about 40 when he died and our father lived until he was 92.
 
C50 said:
I know we all have certain memories imprinted in our minds from our childhoods, but have you ever discussed things with your sibilings and realized how different your memories are than theres? Even of certain events where you were all present? Or of things like your parents personalities? Than question whose memories are right?

I'm always surprised how different my sister and brothers memories are than mine. Most times I believe my memories are more accurate, if for no other reason than I'm the only one in my family to stop drinking at a young age.

Anyone else notice a difference in family memories?
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Oh me too! It cracks me up to hear my sister and brother remember events totally differently! We all drank but no one had problems with alcohol..just the usual party stuff...
I too swear my account was what REALLY happened... :D

I also wonder about forgotten memories..I find it interesting with one of my best friends when she and I reminisce about times we were together and one of us brings up something the other has no memory of :oops:
 
My brother is two and a half years older than me. He embellishes his childhood stories so he is the shining star. I on the other hand, remember tiny details and memories that not even my parents remembered. My first memories go back to when I was still sleeping in a crib. It is like I can picture them in my mind. I don't argue with my brother about his stories because I love him and as he always says, "that's the way he is."
 
I had an older brother who was 13yrs older than me. So I don't have many childhood memories of him. I have a sister who is 2 yrs older than me and we have many memories of growing up. She knew my Mother favored her so if I did anything wrong my sister would take the blame. She knew my Mom would never hit her, but she knew my Mom would hit me.
 
No we all remember it mostly differently , because all but one of us were sent to live with various foster parents at various times during our childhood... only once were we placed together, and even then I was the oldest at 10.. so they just stayed pretty close to me most of the time..
 
Knight said:
No way to ask them. Oldest brother died age 45, next youngest died age 61, youngest age 60. I feel really lucky that I'm healthy and still alive at age 81.
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wow how sad..I have 1 brother and 1 sister and can not imagine losing either..they are both older than I am..
 
hollydolly said:
No we all remember it mostly differently , because all but one of us were sent to live with various foster parents at various times during our childhood... only once were we placed together, and even then I was the oldest at 10.. so they just stayed pretty close to me most of the time..
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I can not imagine your life in foster homes...very sad...are you close now?
 
Because of the vast age differences..one 10 years older, and the other 15 years older I am guessing our experiences were different. Plus, I was the only girl. A bit over protected, from what I was told.
 
I am an only child, and there are only 2 people who might remember some of my childhood left alive. Those 2 people are both cousins and older than I am.
 

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