Q is for Questions

If you have kids you understand they ask questions when they get old enough to talk and observe how people respond to one another. They ask questions like, "Why?" and "How come?" and it is enough to drive a parent nuts. And then when you try to explain important concepts like God or Santa Claus, those things they can't see or experience first hand, it gets more complicated. And let's not discuss the impostors in Santa suits, that's kind of putting a spin on things, because now you have some explaining to do, like why Santa is here at the mall when we just saw him at the other store.

Kids aren't stupid. They ask questions to make sense of the things we throw at them and their questions become more complex and require you to communicate on a level for which you might not be prepared. But kids are curious and questions should never be discouraged, even as the kids grow older.

Even today, my daughter still asks questions about things she thinks I might know about or have experienced before and it makes me feel all sage-like to be able to answer and maybe tell a story or two as it prompts me.

I've run into a few people who cannot stand to answer questions and feel that it is above them "to feed the ignorant." They'll say things like, "I had to figure it out on my own, so let them dig around for the answers themselves." But, I think people would change their attitudes if they had to imagine responding to their own child.

Can you imagine that?

"Hey mom, have you ever smoked pot? What did it do? Does it really impair your judgement?"

Unfit mother says, "Go figure it out for yourself, son. Let me know what you find out."


My List
Aging (and Apples)
Barnacle
Creativity
Destiny 
Ego 
Forgiveness 
Grace
Haters
IHOP 
Jealousy 
Kindness 
Lesbian 
Magnanimous 
Nostalgia
Oxymoron 
Pizza 
Questions  - You are HERE
Resource 
Serendipity 
Technology 
Undergraduate
Virgin 
Writing
XXX 
Yoga 

Zealot 

If you enjoyed this article and would like to receive future articles in your inbox --- Subscribe to our free newsletter