Why, Why, Why, Where, and How...and Why Again

Laney and Reuben are both two, and as most two year-olds do, they like to ask “why?”…a LOT! And it doesn’t bother me one little bit. Asking why is just one of those things that go with being two. They don’t ask to be obnoxious. They ask because they are curious and eager to know why things are the way they are.

Once they ‘know’ the why of everything comes the seemingly endless barrage of:

1. How does ‘it’ work/happen?
2. Where does _________ come from?

I’ll never forget the day I was going through the produce section of a grocery store and heard a little girl who looked to be three or four, ask her mom where broccoli came from. The mom looked at the little girl as if she had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world and disgustedly said, “I don’t know! It comes from….from…broccoli. Who cares?”

My heart broke for the little girl when I saw the sad and confused look on her face. She just wanted to know. What was so bad about that?

Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Children are curious by nature. It’s how they learn. They’re supposed to be curious—it’s their job to be curious. And as a parent it’s YOUR job to satisfy their curiosity. It’s your job to answer their questions or to help them find answers to the questions you can’t answer. If you don’t know where broccoli comes from, don’t belittle your child for asking, or ignore them. Tell them you don’t know and find the answer together.

Parenting your children should be your number one priority, but it isn’t something you have to do all alone—even if you are a single parent. Reach out to family and trusted friends to help you provide answers to questions you can’t answer, or look up the answer in a book…the kind with real pages, instead of automatically falling back on the latest tech gadget and a voice named Siri. In doing so, you are instilling in your child a desire to learn. You are also showing your child it is okay to not always take the easy way out.

Whatever you do, though, don’t stop answering because if you do, they’ll stop asking you and find someone else who will (answer, that is).

Love,

Momma D
                      Copyright 2015 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author.

                                                                                                              

       When you don't have the answers to your child's questions, help them find someone who does.