The other day when we were getting groceries, my 4-year-old (a very inquisitive little fellow) initiated one of his infamous questioning tirades that feel more like an inquisition.
Eli: “Mommy, what are those red things on the ceiling?”
Me: “They are smoke detectors, Sweetie.”
Eli: “What are they doing up there?”
Me: “They are there to let us know just in case there is smoke in the store.”
Eli: “Why would there be smoke in the store?”
Me: “Sometimes fires start from bad electrical wiring, or a machine might spark, or something…” *grasping at straws for what to tell a 4-year-old about how a fire might start in a grocery store*
Eli: “Is there a fire in here right now?”
Me: “No. We are totally safe, Sweetie!”
Eli: “How do you know that, Mommy?”
…And so the conversation continued for the remainder of our grocery trip and thus my son began his current obsession with smoke detectors and all other fire safety equipment.
Are You Intimidated?
Some parents might be intimidated when their child asks them, “What does that mean?” and you don’t have a way to explain it that their child can understand. Frankly, I didn’t know what to tell my son when he asked how I knew we were safe in the grocery store.
Those moments can be a little intimidating and that your child is somehow questioning your authority, but your kids won’t think any less of you if you don’t have an answer to every single question they pose to you. They just want to learn.
Do your child's questions intimidate you?
Instead of gruffly halting an interrogation session with your child, try sucking up your pride or dignity or whatever it is that is making you feel intimidated, and go look online with your child make a game out of asking our all-knowing friend, Google. Or go to your local library and search out answers.
Show them where they can find the information. “You know what? Mommy doesn’t know that. Let’s go find out!” You are teaching your child such a valuable skill because then they will know where to find information as they grow up and they are looking to learn about certain things.
You will be giving them a valuable skill that they will use for the rest of their lives.
