Resolve an impasse: how to answer the child’s questions?

All parents know that by nature all children are enthusiastic whyers. Developing their thinking with the help of exciting games from IQClub, they can find the answers themselves for some questions. But sometimes their “why” is turned towards their parents, which put them at a deadlock.

The main task of an adult is to stimulate the cognitive interest of his child, so it’s impossible to simply dismiss or laugh at the important question. Deception is also not an effective way to solve the problem – the kid will soon understand forgery, and therefore will no longer talk to parents about exciting topics.

How to answer “deadlock” questions?

In the understanding of a child, a parent is an authority and the main source of obtaining important and interesting information about how everything is arranged in the world. Even if you are busy, tired and do not have the desire to understand issues that seem trivial to you, do not ignore your child and his natural craving for knowledge.

There are situations, when the next “why”, which breaks out from the mouth of the child, seems to us stupid. But the problem is not in the trifling question but in our ignorance of a logical and understandable answer to it. When adults see it all obvious and familiar, the child only learns the unknown world around and hurries to ask all questions, the answers to which he cannot find himself. Below, the IQClub team offers popular versions of answers to the “deadlock” questions. For example, we use one of the most popular questions: “Why do stars give light?”

False manoeuvre

The first option that comes to mind for an employed or tired parent is the answer without much sense and understanding:

  • Because it is arranged so.
  • You will grow up and tell me about it yourself.
  • Learn this from your father or grandfather – he will explain it to you.

Parents themselves are well aware that such an answer does not carry any information in itself, except for the message “there’s no time for me to think about it now”. This answer helps the child to understand that his interest is so stupid and wrong that he is not worthy of the adult’s attention. On the one hand, the parent paid attention to the child, and on the other, he cut all his curiosity and desire to contact.

If you want a child to find the answer to this question by his own – tell him that, not forgetting to tell where exactly to look for it. And to distract the child from a painful thought, you can play together with him in the games that the IQClub team has developed.

Operation “Provocation”

If the best defence is an attack, then in the case of “deadlock” questions, parents often arrange a provocation:

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  • Why should not the stars give light?
  • What do you think: The Sun is a star or a planet?

In comparison with the previous version, response-provocation has more benefits than harm. However, one must use this option very cautiously: parent should be ready to continue the conversation and have a logical explanation.

Receiving a provocative answer, a child begins to think, build hypotheses and show curiosity. However, provocation cannot do without problems: the lack of an exact answer causes a flood of new “deadlock” questions from the baby.

That’s the way the world wags

When a child is interested in the stars, an adult can tell him that this is how the world wags. For example, refer to the laws of physics / God’s will/vagaries of the universe. In the adult’s understanding, such a practical answer carries a philosophical meaning and prompts the child to think and analyze. But, from the point of view of a baby, an adult says a set of incomprehensible phrases that mean nothing.

Receiving a foggy answer, the child is even more lost. Lack of rich life experience does not give him the opportunity to evaluate such an answer and deeply understand its essence. That is why the child will not understand anything and will not ask anything else.

Science fiction

Parents, who try to conquer a baby with their knowledge, try to find a scientific explanation for the “deadlock” question. So, the stars can be called huge clots with gaseous structure. The temperature of the substances depends on the light of the stars, but a person can see only the white heavenly bodies since they are the most burning-hot.

A complex scientific answer will exactly satisfy the curiosity of a child, who has a logical mindset and likes to have accurate data. All other children will find this answer too complicated, so they will not ask their parents “why” for long. In 78% of cases, a child will not understand the essence of the answer and will not be able to draw a personal conclusion based on it. As a result, the child will become a living encyclopedia that will spend a lot of time digesting the scientific fact.

To all of you, my lads, and each let this tale a lesson teach!

To warm up interest in the knowledge of the world, parents often come up with believable stories in a fairy-tale form. For example, parents can say that the stars are painted with special luminous paint. Inventing an interesting fairy-tale answer, be on the alert: this option will suit only for a baby. Usually, the heroes of children’s fairy tales are humanized, so excessive infatuation with these stories can be a problem in the future. The child will repeatedly ask the question of interest to him or take a fairy answer as a fact.

The misconception about the surrounding reality will have to be corrected later, therefore the invented answer is definitely not suitable for preschoolers and first-graders.

Multiple choice answers

The most interesting and popular way to answer “deadlock” questions is to offer the child several options from which he can choose the most believable. For example, you can bring data from the Internet and the most popular scientific theories. By offering the child a choice among different versions, you will help to realize one truth: there is no one settled opinion on an important issue. Such an interesting answer will help the child to decide on independent thoughts and experiments. However, here too, there is one difficulty: do not interfere with the fantastic answer and the scientific, because the child will be particularly difficult to understand what kind of a point of view is worth taking.

Right on the mark

The simplest and most effective answer that can only be voiced in a serious conversation with the child is an accurate and exhaustive explanation. In the case of the stars, we can say this: “The universe is full of riddles and phenomena that scientists are still trying to solve. In the Cosmos, certain processes take place every second, after which we see the light of distant stars.”

Getting an accurate, capacious and thoughtful answer is the best response to any “deadlock” question. Explanation of a complex fact in simple words stimulates the curiosity of the baby and proves to him: it is always possible to rely on the parent. The answer is to be built so that it retains the effect of understatement, which will stimulate the child to new scientific discoveries. You can learn the world together and develop your memory with the help of IQClub simulators.

When a growing kid runs to parents with a “deadlock” question, they should not distract his attention and hurry back to business. Even the most incomprehensible and inconvenient questions help the child to know the world, and in this difficult matter, mother and father should be a serious support. And most importantly – if mom and dad cannot give the child time and give him a believable or correct answer, the kid will definitely ask his question to someone else. The influence of strangers on the child should not be categorically allowed. In this case, it may be harmful to communicate with other children.

Try to encourage the craving for knowledge and give the child answers to the questions that he needs to understand. But, at the same time, do not be afraid to say “I do not know, let’s find out together”.

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