When my oldest son was 4 he asked a lot of "why" questions. "Why do people have bones that are hard?" "Why are frogs green?" "Why is this puzzle piece shaped like this?"
It got to be exhausting. I felt as a responsible parent
I should provide my son with answers, but some "why" questions are hard to answer if you are not a walking encyclopedia. I felt bad because I could not give him the answers he seem to need. There were also times where I did know the answers. I would launch into a lecture on the migrating patterns of the Canadian goose in our backyard. After about 30 seconds his eyes would glaze over and he would run to play on the swings.
Parents do not need
to feel inadequate if they don't have the answers or take the podium when they do have knowledge to share. Most experts agree that when children ask questions, they don't want our answers.
They are really saying, "That is so interesting, I would like to figure this out myself or with a little bit of help from an adult." That is why it is more effective to say to a young child, "That is a great question. Why do you think the sky is blue?" "What an interesting question, can you think of some reasons why the rain makes mud?"
When we answer a "why" question with another "why" question we encourage children to think for themselves and explore their own ideas. Children have wild imaginations
and they like to use it. There is nothing a child loves more than having an adult who is genuinely interested in what they have to say. Kids want to come up with their own answers and it gives them something to mull over. It also helps them develop critical thinking skills. Children feel important when we ask them their opinion. It can help build a child's self esteem.
This technique of responding "why do you think?" to our children's "why" questions, is not only good for children, it benefits adults as well. It gives us an idea of what children are thinking about and reminds us to stop and appreciate our wonderful world through the eyes of our children. Children love to engage us in this way. It is a great way to bond with our children. Learning together in a respectful way is a great way to nurture your relationship with your child.
By Adina Soclof
It got to be exhausting. I felt as a responsible parent
I should provide my son with answers, but some "why" questions are hard to answer if you are not a walking encyclopedia. I felt bad because I could not give him the answers he seem to need. There were also times where I did know the answers. I would launch into a lecture on the migrating patterns of the Canadian goose in our backyard. After about 30 seconds his eyes would glaze over and he would run to play on the swings.Parents do not need
to feel inadequate if they don't have the answers or take the podium when they do have knowledge to share. Most experts agree that when children ask questions, they don't want our answers. They are really saying, "That is so interesting, I would like to figure this out myself or with a little bit of help from an adult." That is why it is more effective to say to a young child, "That is a great question. Why do you think the sky is blue?" "What an interesting question, can you think of some reasons why the rain makes mud?"
When we answer a "why" question with another "why" question we encourage children to think for themselves and explore their own ideas. Children have wild imaginations
and they like to use it. There is nothing a child loves more than having an adult who is genuinely interested in what they have to say. Kids want to come up with their own answers and it gives them something to mull over. It also helps them develop critical thinking skills. Children feel important when we ask them their opinion. It can help build a child's self esteem.This technique of responding "why do you think?" to our children's "why" questions, is not only good for children, it benefits adults as well. It gives us an idea of what children are thinking about and reminds us to stop and appreciate our wonderful world through the eyes of our children. Children love to engage us in this way. It is a great way to bond with our children. Learning together in a respectful way is a great way to nurture your relationship with your child.
By Adina Soclof
No comments:
Post a Comment