Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

by Becky Kennedy

Parenting matters. And yes, kids will “remember” all of these years, including years zero to one, one to two, and two to three. They won’t, of course, remember in the way we typically think about memory—they won’t be able to produce a story with words that connects to an experience from their past. But even if kids can’t remember with their words, they can—and do—remember with something more powerful: their bodies. Before they can talk, children learn, based on interactions with their parents, what feels acceptable or shameful, manageable or overwhelming. In this way, our “memories” from early childhood are in fact more powerful than the memories we form in our later years; the way parents interact with kids in their early years forms the blueprint they take with them into the world.