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Why it’s imperative to share your memories with grandchildren

<p>Who doesn’t love to reminisce about the good old times? Bring together family and friends, and you’ll often hear gales of laughter as everyone treads the well-worn path down memory lane. But sharing memories shouldn’t only be in the domain of adults as research is increasingly finding the process plays an important role in children’s psychological development. And for us? Well, it protects our memories as the birthdays inevitably fly by.</p> <p><strong>Memories connect us</strong></p> <p>Whether sad, difficult, funny or embarrassing, we share memoriesfor many reasons but they all work to strengthen shared connections, and help foster and maintain our individual and shared identities. Reminiscing about the past helps reiterate who we are – memories are not only a database of all your experiences but when you remember, you tend to think of what those specific memories mean to you.</p> <p>And even when you share memories of days gone by with grandchildren who may look at you in puzzlement of how you survived life sans internet and technology, it all works to shape their identity. An American study by developmental psychologist Robyn Fivush asked teens to recount “intergenerational” memories – stories from their parent’s lives they learnt when their family reminisced together. Fivush found that the adolescents she tested could not only retell many of their parents’ memory stories like it was their own but most importantly, all the adolescents made strong connections between these “second-hand” family memories and their own developing sense of identity.</p> <p><strong>It teaches children how to remember</strong></p> <p>Research by developmental psychologists has consistently shown that the way parents, grandparents and other close relatives talk to young children about the past teaches them how to remember. Prompting children’s own contributions to a shared memory (for example, both telling the story of their birthday party from last year) helps their memory development and unsurprisingly, studies have found that preschool children who are frequently included in reminiscing develop strong comprehension, vocabulary and literacy skills.</p> <p>It also has the added benefit of teaching children to navigate difficult and complex emotions. As we tend to remember and discuss emotionally meaningful events and experiences, talking through these memories with children help them understand, learn and decipher their emotions and memories.</p> <p><strong>It helps our memories as we age</strong></p> <p>Sharing memories may also help us remember as we age. In a recent study, published in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, researchers asked adult couples, aged 60 to 88 years old, who had been married for over 50 years to individually remember various events from their relationship. A week later, the researchers asked half of the couples to talk with their spouse about their memories and the other half spoke with a stranger. The result indicated that older adults alone trying to recall detailed memories had much more difficulty than older couples that reminisced together. Those who had someone to support their memories (and add forgotten details) could easily remember richly, detailed memories. But it’s not just beneficial for those who have a significant other; the research shows it’s how we talk about the past with any loved ones than whom we talk to.</p> <p>So comes a family get-together share your memories, especially with the grandkids. It’s a gift and a uniquely human gift to give at that.</p>

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One of The Beatles is now a great-grandparent

<p>It may seem like yesterday that <em>The Beatles</em> were teenage heart-throbs, but this announcement makes us realise how quickly time has passed.</p> <p>Richard Starkey – more commonly known as Ringo Starr – became a first time great-grandparent this week, and the first of his bandmates to reach the exciting milestone.</p> <p><em>The Evening Standard</em> reports that the drummer’s granddaughter, Tatia Starkey, welcomed her baby boy, Stone Zakoma Low, to the world on Sunday morning.</p> <p>Tatia is the daughter of Ringo’s son, Zac Starkey, who followed in his father’s footsteps to become a rather successful drummer. New mother Tatia is likewise a professional musician, who playfully snubbed the family instrument and instead plays guitar with the stage name “Veronica Avant”.</p> <p>At only 76-years-old, we think Ringo has got to be one of the youngest great-grandparents we’ve ever heard of.</p> <p>Are you set to become a great-grandparent anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span><strong><a href="/finance/insurance/2016/04/10-odd-things-celebrities-have-insured/"><em>10 odd things celebrities have insured</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong><a href="/entertainment/music/2016/04/the-surprising-real-names-of-singers/"><em>The surprising real names of famous singers</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong><a href="/entertainment/music/2016/03/rock-and-roll-hits-banned-from-being-played/"><em>6 rock ‘n’ roll hits banned from being played</em></a></strong></span></p> <p> </p>

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12 childhood perks you only appreciate when you’re an adult

<p>It’s a strange paradox: when you’re young, all you want to do is be an adult. But it’s only when you grow up that you realise how good you had it!</p> <p>You reach that moment when you’re lining up to pay a bill or are stuck in traffic when you think, “I’d give anything to just be a kid!”</p> <p>With the benefit of hindsight, we chart the perks of childhood that only adults appreciate.</p> <p><strong>1. The ability to nap anywhere, anytime</strong></p> <p>Tired? Take a nap. Bored? Take a nap. It’s 3pm? Take a nap. As a kid, it was your prerogative to lie down and get a moment of peace whenever and where ever you wanted.</p> <p><strong>2. Tantrums are totally acceptable</strong></p> <p>Wouldn’t it be great if the next time the line at the supermarket was too long you could start screaming and fall to the floor until you got your way?</p> <p><strong>3.  Never having to cook</strong></p> <p>You finished school, came home and dinner was ready. Every. Day. It’s like your mum was your own personal chef! We definitely took that perk for granted.</p> <p><strong>4. Chilling in a pram</strong></p> <p>Kids have it great. They <em>literally</em> sit back while someone else pushes them around. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could relax in a chair and get walked to the shops? Not going to happen.</p> <p><strong>5. You can talk without a filter</strong></p> <p>Ever just wish you could say what you really think? When you’re a kid, you take for granted that no one blinks an eye if you tell it how it is.</p> <p><strong>6. Bath time</strong></p> <p>As an adult, taking a bath is a treat. You have to wait until there’s no one home and turn your phone off just to get some sweet me-time. Rewind to childhood, when it was bath time every night. We had it good!</p> <p><strong>7. Getting treats for being good</strong></p> <p>When you were a kid, rewards were always sweet. Whether you got good grades in class or were just celebrating the weekend with Dad, getting Mr Whippy or a Freddo Frog was a pretty standard treat.</p> <p><strong>8. School holidays</strong></p> <p>Can we take a moment to appreciate the amazing break that is the school holidays? You get three months. <em>Three months</em> vacation every year! Try telling your employer you’re heading on holidays for three months now and you’ll lose your job.</p> <p><strong>9. Extravagant themed birthday cakes</strong></p> <p>Ah, the sheer joy when it was your birthday and mum brought out an amazing Barbie-doll inspired homemade birthday cake. Back then, the <em>Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book</em> gave mum enough baking ideas to last for years. Now, you’d be lucky to get a cake from the supermarket.</p> <p><strong>10. Clothing is optional</strong></p> <p>When you’re a kid, no one looks twice if they see you running half naked under the sprinklers in summer. You get to wear whatever you want, even if that means pairing your favourite tutu with a Mickey Mouse top. If only the office’s casual Friday policy was as lenient.</p> <p><strong>11. Sick days</strong></p> <p>Remember the days of having a slight cold or just feeling a bit off, and getting totally looked after? You’d take the day off school and settle on the couch for a full schedule of daytime TV and snacks galore.</p> <p><strong>12. <em>Not</em> having a phone</strong></p> <p>For our generation, being a kid meant simpler times. You didn’t have to compete with friends for the hottest new mobile phone, didn’t constantly feel the need check Facebook and weren’t glued to your screen. Now, we’re expected to be connected and contactable 24/7. Sometimes it just makes you want to be a kid again.</p>

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