My kids constantly ask me questions. Can we buy doughnuts? Why this? Why that? Where does the food go after I eat it? Why are some people mean? Is God real? Will the dentist hurt me? Does the baby know how to suck yet? Can we get the baby a sucker- I mean, a dumb-dumb?
Today, as I was getting ready to answer the question of "Where does the food go after I eat it?" I realized that My kids are going to be geniuses! Seriously. I figured, if I thoroughly answer every single question that my kids ask, (or at least the ones I know the answers to,) my kids will grow up being really smart. Then I was thinking about how every 2-4 year old I've known asks a ton of questions. I suppose this continues on throughout life, but preschool aged kids probably win the "Most Questions Asked in a Day Award." As I was thinking about it, I figured, if all kids are asking these questions why aren't all our kids smarter?
In our society, I suppose that children are often viewed as something of a burden. I guess maybe that translates into even how we view the enumerable questions that kids ask. Because as I thought of all these things, I remembered how frustrated parents can seem to get about their kids asking them all these questions. "Ridiculous" questions. "Already Been Answered 10 times" questions. "How in the world would I know the answer to that" questions. I wonder how kids would be if parents across the board would view them as future adults. If we viewed their curiosity as a blessing, rather than an annoyance. If instead of telling them off, maybe we would look at it as investing in their love for learning.
If there is one thing that makes me crazy, its a kid, or an adult, who doesn't love to learn. If parents would learn to fuel curiosity and learning, how it would affect children's perception of education? Hmmm.
"What would it be like if we taught our children to love learning?"
That's my question.