Will they remember?

When I try to think back to my own childhood, I don't remember a lot of details. Did my Mom read to me? Play with me? What were our evenings like? Did I have homework in elementary school? Sadly, I can't remember. I have a few early-ish memories - falling off the monkey bars at Blake Preschool and needing stitches in my forehead (I was 5), being scared out of my mind on Space Mountain in Disneyworld (I was also about 5), driving trips to Florida in Mom's Firebird or Grandma and Graddaddy's big conversion van (probably ages 7-9).

When Tod's sister Martha visited this summer, she talked about when she and their sister Jennifer made the HUGE trip from Montana to Florida to go to Disneyworld with their kids. This had to have been a big financial commitment for them, they probably saved for a year or more. Martha was sure they'd be making memories that would last forever. They stayed at a Disney resort ($$$) and were there several days. Martha recalled her oldest, Derek, was about 7. As it turns out, the kids have zero memories of this trip. Zero. Not one.

Which makes me wonder about the value of all the trips and activities we do with our kids. Will they remember that we have read to them pretty much every single day of their lives up until now? That each of them got a trip to Disney (and Sea World, etc.) when they turned 5? That we spend time checking in with them on their homework, giving help when it's needed?

I guess only time will tell if they'll remember these things or if they'll only have memories that are based on the photos we've taken. But I hope that all these things we do are helping our kids to know they are secure and loved, and giving them life experiences they can build on.

It's worth it.