Children may be young and yet to experience much in life but they are certainly inquisitive. If anyone is going to ask questions that are tough to answer, it’s likely going to be a young child. Asking questions is healthy and it’s how children learn. It’s also a sign that they are curious and want to understand the world around them.
Parents of young children are regularly faced with questions that are sometimes difficult to answer. Read on and learn how to answer a child’s toughest questions in this guide.
Why Do Children Ask So Many Questions?
Some kids seem to have the ability to fire off questions faster than a lawyer doing a cross-examination in a courtroom. It’s important for parents (and older siblings) to understand why children ask so many questions.
Young children are going through an intensive learning phase. They are curious about almost everything, whether it seems important or not. Their developing brains want answers and it seems just about everything around them stimulates a question to be asked. It’s completely normal and understandable.
It’s also productive for a child’s intellectual and emotional growth to be involved in tough discussions. It teaches them important life lessons, such as dealing with difficult situations and decision making.
Be Patient
Too many questions from kids, particularly tough questions, can sometimes feel exasperating for parents but it’s important to be patient. If you always keep in mind the reasons why your child is so inquisitive, you’ll find patience in answering those questions comes more naturally.
Take a deep breath before you answer. This will help you be more relaxed and patient and it also gives you added time to formulate an answer when your child asks you a difficult question. You don’t need to fire back an answer instantly. Take your time in responding.
Keep Your Answers Short
When a young child is being inquisitive and in question-asking mode, this doesn’t mean they are craving deep and long conversations. If you’re asked a tough question, just reply with a short and simple response. You don’t need to go into detail unless your child continues to ask questions on the subject after you’ve provided an answer.
More often than not, once you’ve replied with a short, yet satisfying answer to a question, your child will stop asking.
Try this out the next time your child is barraging you with questions and see how it goes. Short answers will also be less tiring for parents.
What Do You Do If You Don’t Have An Answer?
Sometimes you’ll be approached with a question that you either don’t know how to answer or don’t know the answer to. What’s the best course of action when this happens?
One thing you could try is answering their question with a question of your own. This will give you a clearer idea of why they are asking the question. Secondly, if it’s a case of simply not knowing the answer, you can research the question before responding, or even research the answer with your child.
These approaches also demonstrate that you are interested in what they think and have to say.
Seek Advice From Other Parents
If you’re continuing to struggle when it comes to answering your child’s questions, you could seek the advice of other parents you know. If a friend has been through it all and has more experience than what you have, they’re bound to be able to offer you some invaluable advice based on that experience.
Don’t Simply Ignore Tough Questions
Even when you’re unsure how to answer a difficult question, it’s not a good idea to remain silent and ignore the question. Children are often looking for reassurance as much as answers. You also want to encourage young children to be inquisitive and not appear as though you are shutting them down.
Engage in a brief discussion with them about the subject and you’ll soon arrive at a way of adequately answering those tough questions.
The Takeaway
Children are always going to ask questions and some of them are going to be hard to answer. Always encourage a child’s inquisitive mind and take your time to formulate an answer when asked a tough one.
