The Things Kids Talk About...
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So, I don't know if this thread will go anywhere, or if it really belongs in the Woo thread, but...
For the past 3 - 4 months my boy, who is 4 years old, has started talking about "when he was an adult".
E.G. he'd randomly say "I did this when I was an adult". Like when we flew to Australia for his 4th birthday he said "I flew a plane when I was an adult".
Obviously a child's imagination is an incredibly powerful thing, he also has an imaginary work that he talks about, however it's obvious when he's making stuff up as he constantly looks up and uses a higher pitched voice when talking about all the things at his work (space ships, dinosaurs etc).
But when he talks about being an adult, it's always just a matter of fact statement - I think he does believe what he is saying are his memories even if it is just his imagination.
So when he first started doing it we just went along with it as you do, humour him a bit and act interested in his stories. But the last few weeks he's really ramped up the details, and unlike his work stories he is really coherent and consistent with the details. Some of the things he's said are:
- When I was an adult I had long hair, but I was a man. Now I have this big hair (points to his curly afro).
- (talking to Mum) When I was an adult I had a different mother and her name was Joan, but I don't remember anything else.
- When I was an adult I used to work at a factory that was red like the Warehouse, but it wasn't the Warehouse. We used to send towels and clothes to families that needed them.
- I can remember a picture of myself sitting in a chair next to my shed. The shed is black and rusty, and all of the tools inside are too rusty to use now.
- I can remember when I was too old to have fun. I didn't have much hair, just a little bit like this (gestures across the top of his head). I'm glad I'm a kid now and not too old to have fun.
- (talking to Mum) people sent me to be a baby in your belly, and then I was a baby and now I'm a kid. When my wife questioned him on that he got a bit annoyed and repeated himself until she accepted it.
If I ask him about any of the above the details (so far) stay consistent, whereas with his other made-up stories the details constantly change and he contradicts himself a lot.
Anyway, I know quite a few of you guys have/had young kids - wondering if there's any weird stuff they talked about. I found this quite funny to begin with but it's starting to creep me out a bit now...
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Yeah it is a bit creepy. I'm as atheist as the day is long and so is the better half, though she was raised Catholic.
Doing some googling on the internet (yeah, dangerous I know) it seems this isn't that uncommon, and there are psychiatrists that have dedicated themselves to investigating this kind of thing.
Children Who Seemingly Remember Past Lives
Young children around the world are known to spontaneously volunteer recollections that seem to be about someone else’s life. Something truly significant is going on.
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@Virgil said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
That's some creepy shit there dude.
You guys Catholic...
Buddists do reincarnation don't they?
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@No-Quarter said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
Yeah it is a bit creepy. I'm as atheist as the day is long and so is the better half, though she was raised Catholic.
Doing some googling on the internet (yeah, dangerous I know) it seems this isn't that uncommon, and there are psychiatrists that have dedicated themselves to investigating this kind of thing.
Young children around the world are known to spontaneously volunteer recollections that seem to be about someone else’s life. Something truly significant is going on.
Kids are like sponges, his stories are probably a construct of everything he sees and hears. It is amazing how vivid their "recollections" can be. That or he is a reincarnation
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@canefan said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
@No-Quarter said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
Yeah it is a bit creepy. I'm as atheist as the day is long and so is the better half, though she was raised Catholic.
Doing some googling on the internet (yeah, dangerous I know) it seems this isn't that uncommon, and there are psychiatrists that have dedicated themselves to investigating this kind of thing.
Young children around the world are known to spontaneously volunteer recollections that seem to be about someone else’s life. Something truly significant is going on.
Kids are like sponges, his stories are probably a construct of everything he sees and hears. It is amazing how vivid their "recollections" can be. That or he is a reincarnation
Non-believer!!!
But yeah one explanation is that it is kids trying to get their head around growing up, and create a fictional character in their head as a result. Though some of the cases you read online are pretty incredible if you believe them.
@Rembrandt yeah we haven't really questioned him on anything, he's just felt compelled to tell us. The only thing we've said is "do you remember anything else". I'll try and flesh it out a bit more, delve into the depths of his weird and wonderful mind...
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@No-Quarter You didn't make the mistake of having him vaccinated, there's your problem..
The truth must come out!
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sounds like an episode of The Regular Show.
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Reminds me of these stories from reddit a couple or so years ago.
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I remember reading about this years back. It's either reincarnation or a very vivid imagination that is super common for kids. I'd say it's more likely his imagination. There is just so much stimuli out there these days. Who knows what he absorbs and dreams about.
But perhaps you should explore the religious angle more
In all seriousness, as creepy as it must be, I'm sure it's just a phase.
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@Chris-B. said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
The University of Virginia page on this warns against trying that so I certainly won't be going down that path...
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@No-Quarter said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
@Chris-B. said in The Things Kids Talk About...:
The University of Virginia page on this warns against trying that so I certainly won't be going down that path...
Good grief. Do they have a page on how to properly conduct exorcisms too?
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I tried to flesh it out a bit more last night but he's not keen anymore. Said "I already talked about it and I don't want to talk anymore. I don't remember who sent me to be a baby in mummy's belly". Gotta love a child's imagination.
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Talked to the mrs lastnight about your situation @No-Quarter
Sounds like it's not out of the norm for this kind of thing. Though there's no logical explanation for it, unless you believe in past lives etc
She mentioned some kids can be aware of strange things so to speak.
Reminded me of when our oldest was just a new born. In our previous house whenever the mrs would get up in the night to feed her and when she carried her down the hall Ella would look over the mrs's shoulder and smile a lot, always gave the impression she saw someone there.
Our youngest (5) occasionally mentions there's ghosts in our house that she sees, she also insists the light is left on at bed timeNot creepy as fuck really,
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Oh no not creepy at all...
The atheist in me puts it all down to his imagination. But about 2% of me wonders if there's something more to it...
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@No-Quarter yeah I'm a skeptic when it comes to things like that, but some personal experiences make me question my skepticism, with no answers
Past life regression - Wikipedia
Advice to Parents of Children who are Spontaneously Recalling Past Life Memories - Division of Perceptual Studies
