Responding to a Child’s Question?
Responding to a Child’s Questions?
“Mom, Why are crows black?”
“Why do birds fly?”
“Why don’t pigeons swim?”
There is probably not a single parent who has not heard such questions from his or her child. Occasionally, parents may not know the answers to some of the questions children ask” How should we respond to these never ending questions?” many parents wonder.
First, we will try to find out why kids constantly bother their parents with these bamboozling questions. Sometimes, the questions children ask don’t sound logical too. But we should take into account that childhood is a period when children see, hear or experience many things for the first time, so, when they are exposed to new ideas and activities, they start to wonder why they are not happening in a certain way and many think beyond the right answer.
Parents are the prime source of information for children; they naturally approach their parents to quench the thirst for their doubts.
This is the secret behind every child’s raising a doubt. Child psychologists say that if a child asks too many questions, it is a positive sign that means children are heading into the right direction.
In fact, there is no need to explain facts in detail to a very young child as they may find these concepts difficult to understand. If you can explain by weaving the information into an interesting story and present it to them would be appreciated by them.
The best possible answer given to the child should be appealing, but not contradictory and complex, be careful not to give any false information.
Sometimes, kids hurl questions at their parents, like missiles, one after another. Generally after answering one or two questions, parents lose patience and dismiss the child with a sarcastic remark, this is a negative attitude that would make the child feel ashamed and would suppress his or her spirit of curiosity.
Parents are advised to follow these three steps while handling questions with children:
Always be ready.
Never scold a child for raising doubts.
Make your answer accurate and simple.
You can give your children a valuable lesson that learning is something that can be enjoyed everyday-for lifetime.