How childhood memories define who you become
“Tell me 2 or 3 childhood memories before age 8 . . . and I’ll tell you everything about you. Guaranteed.”–Dr. Kevin Lehman
One of my favorite Christian child psychologists/authors is Dr. Kevin Lehman. Not only is he laugh-out-loud hysterical, but he always zeroes in on hard truths about parenting and working with children. I’ve been recently reading What Your Childhood Memories Say About You, in which he develops the premise that our childhood memories and dreams profoundly impact our future professions and 
personalities. No surprise–I concur with his findings. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing or coloring. By second grade, I considered myself an author, and my mother encouraged my story-writing by typing up my prose and helping me make little books by folding typing paper into halves and quarters and stapling the bindings. I drew illustrations on every other page.
My first book was about a mouse family with a few dozen children whose names all started with T and whose last name was Tiny. At that stage in my life, I was under the spell of Beatrix Potter, Lois Lensky (the Small family books), and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Rackety-Packety House. I was also enthralled by Garth Williams and Robert McClosky’s illustrations. (Who wouldn’t be??)
I was a bit shy of adults, highly imaginative, incredibly visual, and in love with Jesus. Not a bad start in life. (If only we could stay true to our childhood selves!)
I recommend ALL of Kevin Lehman’s books (especially The Birth Order Book–everyone must read it!) because he is insightful, direct, helpful, and funny. All good things when you’re looking for advice about how to be a better parent or a more self-aware adult.
Read some of his books and see what you think. Leave a comment so we can all benefit from your experience! These are not all of his books, but they are my favorites:
