Curiosity breeds knowledge and gives way to a whole new world of thought.
Curious children are more engaged in learning and enjoy it more for that matter. A boarding school in Somerset shares more on how to raise an inquisitive child.
Model your interests
From the age of 24 months, your child will begin to formulate his or her own questions. They are born explorers and it is our job as parents to guide them through that process. Start by modelling your own interests.
Take your child outdoors and display an interest in what could be in the trees, the chirping birds or even a gentle, crisp breeze.
Make answers relevant to their development
There is no point in overwhelming your child with information as it will only confuse them.
When answering your child’s questions, be mindful of their age. This might be to answer a question about where they came from by referring to a hospital or providing answers with less jargon.
Pose questions back to your child
Leave children with answers that spur their curious minds even further. This might be by responding with ‘I don’t know, let’s find out together’ or ‘what do you think?’.
Take your time
Sometimes parents don’t have all the answers and that’s okay. In this case, to allow yourself time to think about the question, you can pose the question back to your child. This will help you to find out what their opinions are in the meantime while you think.
It’s always important to never lie, no matter how small. This can create a relationship of distrust once the truth is learnt and prove difficult to rebuild.
Field trips to provoke thought
Trips to a different environment can help your child to think more inquisitively and inspire new interests. Trips could be to another country, a museum or a zoo.
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post