Kids and Curiosity (and Why I’ve Stopped Trying to Answer Every Question)
If you’ve ever spent time around kids, you already know this: they ask questions nonstop. Some days it feels sweet and funny, and other days it feels like your brain is being gently but repeatedly poked with a stick. Why is the moon following us? Why can’t dogs talk? Why is water wet? Most of the time, I don’t even have proper answers. And for a long time, that made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Like I should know more. Like I should be better prepared. But honestly? I’ve learned that not having all the answers isn’t the problem. Sometimes it’s actually the point. Kids aren’t asking questions because they expect a perfect explanation. They’re asking because their minds are busy. They’re noticing things. They’re trying to make sense of a world that’s still very new to them. And that curiosity is something we should protect, not rush through just to get to the next task on the to-do list. I used to answer questions quickly just to move on. A short explanation, a distra...