Why it’s important for children to ask questions and how it can help the parent-child relationship

There comes a time in a child’s life when absolutely everything becomes a question. “Why are you staying overnight? Why do we dream while we sleep? Where do babies come from?” These are just some of the countless examples we could give. But the problem is that when we don’t answer a question, it unfolds into many others, and although at first these questions may seem simple, their answers are quite complex and often require some prior knowledge.

O awesome.club knows that childhood is a very important stage and that it is not always easy to face the many questions that our children ask us. So today we bring you some valuable examples and some tips on how to deal with these situations.

Answering a lot of questions isn’t exactly fun, but for a child it can be much more productive to ask questions than to watch television, as asking questions is a way to actively participate in learning. In addition, thinking, verbalizing and formulating concrete questions about a certain topic that the child still does not understand is a way of stimulating much more critical thinking.

In this sense, avoid showing dissatisfaction with the questions; instead, if you’re really tired, say that you’ll keep answering the next day. Children need this interaction with their parents because they like to know that they are being accompanied in this learning process.

According to a survey published by the British website Littlewoods, children ask an average of 500 questions a week. In the “bombing” of questions, mothers are the ones who suffer the most, as the little ones prefer to take their doubts with them. When you see these numbers, it’s natural to be scared and want to run away, but it’s important to remember that young children are just getting to know the world, and there are many things they don’t know yet. In this sense, the child seeks information about what he has not yet experienced.

According to clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack, children ask a lot of questions because they are naturally curious. “Everything around them and everything they see, touch, feel and smell is new to them. And they always want to know more about things.” Have you ever traveled to a country very different from your own? Most likely you would ask the guide a lot of questions in order to feel more independent. That’s exactly what happens to children. So be patient and always try to answer in simple language.

The questioning stage, according to studies, begins around age 3, when sentences begin to get longer. Curiosity for the unknown and communication develop at almost the same time, so while they lead us on an endless path of questions, they are also learning to verbalize the concerns they have in their minds.

Furthermore, it is at this stage that they begin to understand that the question “Why?” actually brings answers. That is, children are often not asking a question, they are just wanting to tell something interesting and learn more about it.

As much as children can sometimes make us impatient, the truth is that they ask questions because they trust us and our answers. As they are sure that we will tell the truth, it is very important to show that they can count on our help when they really have a question about a topic.

Researchers have found that before asking a question, children assess the possibilities of an adult answering; whether they will be able to find the requested information. This means that if the parents don’t respond or make the child feel bad, it’s possible that the child just won’t ask anymore. In other words, the child stops being interested in things, which is a great pity, isn’t it?

Sometimes, we don’t even finish answering the first question and the child is already talking about another topic, or he simply repeats the same question as before. All of this can be a little distressing. According to a psychologist, this situation usually happens when the child is still unable to formulate long sentences; that is, it is a way of establishing a dialogue.

“Children aren’t necessarily asking ‘why?’, in fact this is often the only way to learn more about a given topic”. According to some psychologists, what they really mean is, “This is really interesting. Let’s talk more about it. Tell me more, please.” That is, take the opportunity to talk about what the child is asking. If she asks why stars appear at night, tell her you think they’re beautiful and ask if the child does too.

For some researchers, asking a lot is a good sign. For them, it means that the child is motivated to learn, which gives them greater possibilities for learning in the future. Specialists did a study with 130 people (the study started when they were still babies and continued until adulthood) and found that babies who showed more interest in learning were more likely to graduate than less curious people.

If your child asks you a question and you don’t know the answer (and don’t feel bad, this happens often), research the answer with your child. If a child finds a topic interesting, read about it with them. In addition to making learning fun, you are creating a good memory of the two of you together.

It is important to always answer truthfully: “Inventing a story can seem like a strategy to gain time, especially when we have difficulty explaining a certain topic. However, this behavior can cause a loss of trust.” As mentioned earlier, children trust our answers, and those answers don’t always have to be very complex. Speak clearly and give enough detail for the child to understand. If the child asks an embarrassing question in public, say so that you will respond later. But don’t try to go off on a tangent. According to a University of Michigan study, a child is twice as likely to repeat the same unanswered question. And the probability that the answer will lead to new questions is four times greater. One way to get out of this whirlwind of questions is to anticipate and ask something, for example, what does a drum sound like or what color are the flowers in the garden? . A group of experts, when evaluating a group of children, found that those who saw interest on the part of their parents in asking questions about a certain topic learned much more quickly about what was being discussed than the others. Also, when a child asks you something, you can answer, “And you, why do you think it happens this way?” This way, the child will think about his own answers and you will only need to listen and guide his reflections and reasoning.

What’s the cutest question a child has ever asked you? And do you have any personal techniques for dealing with the many questions children ask us? Tell us in the comments, we’d love to hear about new strategies.