Part of the Series : Child of Our Time: A Year-by-Year Study of Childhood Development (12 Parts) | Child of Our Time 2013 | 


Do our brains store experiences from our first few months of life? What happens to children who witness disturbing events before age two? How does being unwanted affect a baby? This program explores the personal significance of memory and examines the developmental stages at which meaningful awareness is formed. Visiting a group of 25 children, the film observes them as they turn two years old and studies the relationship between their memories and their current state. Among them are troubled Charlotte, who has converted her fear and sadness into bad behavior, and Jamie, whose mother has had difficulty forming an attachment to him. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Thanks for the Memories. Part of the series Child of Our Time 2002. 

Closed Captioned

The Effect of First Memories (06:33)
Minutes after his birth, Reuben stopped breathing and at two months he was hospitalized again with pneumonia. His mother worries about the effect of these early traumatic experiences.

Lasting Effect of Early Memories in Baby Fish (03:04)
The basic process of learning is the same in the brains of baby fish and human babies. An experiment shows how fish remember a frightening experience for the rest of their lives.

Infant Memories Affect Reaction to Intensive Care Environment (03:35)
Children who had been in intensive care as newborns return to a simulated intensive care unit so that researchers can observe their reactions. Surprisingly, these children appear to be comfortable in the intensive care environment.

How Children Absorb Information (04:06)
Whether they are being taught or not, children readily absorb information. Most toddlers learn how to do one or two new complicated activities every day.

Ways Children Demonstrate Insecurity (04:22)
A young girl exhibits behavioral problems and an underdeveloped bond with her mother as a result of her troubling and unstable early years. The divorce of her parents leaves two-year-old Charlotte feeling very insecure.

Subconscious Childhood Memories (04:05)
An innovative experiment tests whether or not it is possible to remember very early experiences in later life. Even if subjects have no conscious memory of an item, subconscious memories trigger physiological response.

Testing the Adult State of Mind: Recalling Happy and Sad Memories (04:46)
A simple experiment shows that a person who has many sad unconscious memories can more quickly and easily list sad memories than happy memories, which reveals the lasting effect of subconscious memories on a person's life.

Bonds Between Parent and Child (06:17)
A woman who got pregnant after having a sterilization procedure has found it difficult to bond with her unplanned child. Children must bond with someone at an early age in order to feel loved and develop a strong sense of security.

Instability and Early Childhood Behavioral Problems (01:10)
With her divorce dragging on, a young mother finds it difficult to cope with single parenting at times. Her toddler displays constant defiant behavior to which she doesn't know how to respond.

Breaking Away From Unhappy Childhood Memories (05:31)
Despite her own unhappy childhood, one mother makes a conscious effort to raise her children feeling happy and loved. However, it is sometimes difficult not to repeat the parenting style of one's parents.

Manipulating Memories: Impact of Photographs (06:08)
Photos help young children reinforce their memories but by the time people reach adulthood it becomes difficult to discern between true and false memories.

Creating Happy Memories (01:23)
A woman's efforts to give her children the happy childhood she never had has a therapeutic effect on herself.

Play Therapy: Repairing a Mother-Daughter Relationship (06:12)
A child behavior specialist works with a mother and daughter to help the mother learn more effective ways to nurture and communicate with her daughter.