Sunday, September 1, 2019
Middle-aged Mommying: #5 Short-term memory loss - the struggle is real
Middle-aged Mommying: #5 Short-term memory loss - the struggle is real: My only qualification is that I have raised six children who have turned out to be pretty decent human beings Ever forget that you ...
#5 Short-term memory loss - the struggle is real
My only qualification is that I have raised six children who have turned out to be pretty decent human beings
Ever forget that you ordered something on Amazon? Pretty much every time! The doorbell will ring and I'll see that it is the delivery man and think he must have the wrong address.
They say that you lose brain cells for every child you have. Mine must have gaping holes in it in the short-term memory department.
When my oldest daughter still lived at home we enjoyed watching certain TV shows together. It became a running joke that I would not remember what had happened the week before - this was problematic if the story line continued. Her recall was perfect. I'm interested to see if it still is in 20 years!
From walking into rooms and forgetting why, to climbing the stairs only to forget what I climbed them for - it's kind of sad.
But I have a theory.
I am convinced that the human mind was only designed to remember so much. Think about life before electricity. The only things you had to remember were:
* to milk the cow (if you had one) and she bellowed at you if you forgot.
*Monday was laundry day
*Feed everyone (refer to the cow one about bellowing)
*Sunday was church
*In the winter kids had school -maybe
*The occasional potluck church activity
I could do that.
Fast forward to today. There are eight people in my family. When they were all at home they all expected me to know the ins and outs of their calendars and remind them of their activities (oh and all the things they did not like to eat that particular month).
Piano lessons, dance classes, baseball games, gymnastics, swim lessons, homework, car pool (a particular pain), church youth activities and on and on.
Some might say it was my fault that I had my kids in so many activities - but that misses my point. My brain was not programmed to remember that much stuff!!!!
It brings to mind the image of a mother trying to pick up at night without the use of a basket - her arms are full and things keep falling out as she bends to pick up another toy. That was my brain.
As my birdlings have left the nest I am much more on top of things but my reputation as a forgetter is burned into my children's brains. They're a tough crowd.
The only one who is more gracious about it is my oldest - who has four kids of his own now. Hmm, I wonder if that's why? Lol.
They say that you lose brain cells for every child you have. Mine must have gaping holes in it in the short-term memory department.
When my oldest daughter still lived at home we enjoyed watching certain TV shows together. It became a running joke that I would not remember what had happened the week before - this was problematic if the story line continued. Her recall was perfect. I'm interested to see if it still is in 20 years!
From walking into rooms and forgetting why, to climbing the stairs only to forget what I climbed them for - it's kind of sad.
But I have a theory.
I am convinced that the human mind was only designed to remember so much. Think about life before electricity. The only things you had to remember were:
* to milk the cow (if you had one) and she bellowed at you if you forgot.
*Monday was laundry day
*Feed everyone (refer to the cow one about bellowing)
*Sunday was church
*In the winter kids had school -maybe
*The occasional potluck church activity
I could do that.
Fast forward to today. There are eight people in my family. When they were all at home they all expected me to know the ins and outs of their calendars and remind them of their activities (oh and all the things they did not like to eat that particular month).
Piano lessons, dance classes, baseball games, gymnastics, swim lessons, homework, car pool (a particular pain), church youth activities and on and on.
Some might say it was my fault that I had my kids in so many activities - but that misses my point. My brain was not programmed to remember that much stuff!!!!
It brings to mind the image of a mother trying to pick up at night without the use of a basket - her arms are full and things keep falling out as she bends to pick up another toy. That was my brain.
As my birdlings have left the nest I am much more on top of things but my reputation as a forgetter is burned into my children's brains. They're a tough crowd.
The only one who is more gracious about it is my oldest - who has four kids of his own now. Hmm, I wonder if that's why? Lol.
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