I’ve been thinking about blogging recently, specifically mommy and daddy blogging. The majority of parent bloggers out there have children aged between newborn and four years old. There are of course many notable exceptions, but certainly the people with older children tend not to have them as the sole focus of their blogs.
I remember very little about the early years of my own childhood. I do have a few flashes of recollection: Overhearing a conversation at playgroup about stopping another child picking his nose and feeling worried that the same sanctions would be imposed on me. Driving with my mother to check that a car crash reported on the news hadn’t involved my father. And being reprimanded by the next door neighbor for throwing my dad’s beloved childhood porcelain ornament out of a second floor window.
But I have other memories that I am uncertain of the accuracy of. Frequently these are tied to old photographs in dusty family albums. Snapshots which, after repeated viewings over the years, have become burned in my memory like a cattle brand. Can I really remember getting that toy accordion for Christmas, or can I just remember the photo of me getting it? I suspect it’s the latter.
Since the birth of my children I’ve been acutely aware of the preciousness of time. Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. But what has made these past three and a bit years even more poignant is the knowledge that neither of my kids are going to remember anything about them. These precious memories are mine alone, denied to Amy and Evan by the stampede of rapidly developing neural pathways.
Like many others I intend on one day handing a hardbound copy of this blog to my children. A record of life and love in their early years. But, like the photos of my childhood, will what I am writing right now become irrevocably entangled into their recollections? Will they remember these events from their perspective or my own? And does it even matter?
I don’t know. But what I do know is that any memories they have of me making them pretend to be monkeys for my own amusement are definitely false. Definitely.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 am
Ah yes, I too would love to hand over that hard copy. Does that company exist yet? Seems like there would be a nice market there.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 12:13 am
The company used to exist but it looks like they have gone out of business.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 12:34 am
Hello “t’other dan” (I really would like to know how that is pronounced. Another great post.
I recently asked my son’s kindergarten teacher what she feels about teaching a class of students that will, in all likelihood, never remember her. I mean, I have vague memories of 3rd grade or maybe earlier, but I am not sure I remember my teacher.
She looked at me and said, “they may not remember me, but they will remember what I taught them and that is all that matters to me.”
Your children and my Baby Goats are never going to remember this time of their lives (thank the gods since I believe I screw this up every single day) but they will remember what we teach them.
Have fun
the Dan that wishes he was as good as t’other Dan
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 am
If this whole blog thing isn’t just a fad, and actually exists when our kids grow up these posts will be a wonderful thing to pass on to our kids. People make fun of me for doing this but the fact is, amongst all the chatter and BS are real events and stories that actually chronicle our entire family’s lives. I’ve thought about the blog binding thing myself lately so I agree with Whit - it probably will become a common service before too long.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 3:02 am
Nicely put. I sometimes wonder if I’ll still be blogging when my kids get older, or if I’ll chuck it aside. I like to think of it as something that is a life-long habit. Perhaps when our kids are grown, blogging as we now know it will be seen as an old person’s hobby.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 10:28 am
We’re so glad that you have done all this for much the same reasons, and when we are old(er) and more demented - then looking at the blog/hard copy will help us remember too. You wont have problems with your memory though having had such an illustrious teacher as Alan Sugar (just looked at your school pic on Flickr).
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
Grandma and Granddad - what do you mean when you are demented?
If I’m honest I can’t actually remember the name of that teacher. He was our form tutor so basically just took the register and that was it.
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.â€
- Kahlil Gibran
on Jul 2nd, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Oh yes a hardback version will give them proof that will stand up in a courtroom. Only kidding.
on Jul 3rd, 2007 at 1:57 am
Oh, you *know* I am going to make hard-bound books for them. I’m so sick, it might end up being a yearly thing :-)
For the record, I do have a child in the younger set. Tor is 21 months old. He’ll have his turn in the limelight… eventually!