Kids always have many doubts like: why do people have to die? Are mistakes always bad? Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Children often say that they lie awake at night thinking about things like why the world has the colors as it does, the nature of time and whether dreams are real. These are not the kinds of questions that can be answered by googling them or asking Siri.
When children raise these questions, adults tend to respond with explanations that try to resolve the issue, at least temporarily. It's natural to attempt to comfort a kid who is feeling puzzled by the world. But simple explanations may not be what the child wants. Sometimes, kids simply want to talk about their questions and thoughts.
Most kids start wondering about big questions almost as soon as they learn to speak, and they continue to think about them throughout childhood. Being full of curiosity about things that most adults take for granted, children all over the world are wide open to the mysteries in human life. But as they get older, kids ask questions less and less.
While children do need adults' help and guidance, parents don't always have to be in position of the experts providing the answers. Thinking with children about their bigger questions can make way for a more mutual kind of interactions. Because these kinds of questions tend not to have settled and final answers, discussions about them allow parents and children to wonder together. In this way, adults feel less pressure to be the experts.
Most of children have few long-held assumptions about bigger questions. Kids often suggest original and creative ways of looking at them. Talking with kids about what they are thinking without always feelingcompelledto offer answers can help them explore their own concerns and ideas.
