kindness you performed for someone.” Again, activities and
questions like these not only encourage recollection but also push
children to think more deeply about their own emotions and
actions, about sharing their days with someone, and about how
they can help others.
For speciɹc events you want your child to think more about,
look at photo albums and watch old videos. One great way to help
them focus in more depth is to design and illustrate a “memory
book” with your child. For example, when your daughter returns
from her ɹrst sleepaway camp, you can collect the letters she sent
home, pieces of memorabilia, and the photos she took, and create a
memory book with her. She can write little stories and notes in the
margins: “This was my cabin,” or “This was after the shaving-cream
ɹght.” Creating a book like this prompts your daughter’s memory
about some of the details she might otherwise lose in the coming
months and years, while also giving her the opportunity to share
with you more about this important event in her life.
Simply by asking questions and encouraging recollection, you can
help your kids remember and understand important events from
the past, which will help them better understand what’s happening
to them in the present.
Whole-Brain Kids:
Teach Your Kids About Making Their Implicit Memories
Explicit
We’ve given you several examples of how to talk to your kids
about implicit and explicit memories. If you notice that your child
is struggling as a result of a past experience, one of the best things
you can do is to talk to him and help him retell the story of that
experience. But it can also be helpful to explain what’s happening