“The average 4 year old asks 437 questions a day.”
Curiosity is baked into the human experience. Young kids encounter something new, learn a little bit about it, get curious and then continue to add on a little more information with each new discovery.
“ When treated as a lifelong endeavor, learning a little bit about something opens up space to learn more” Katrina Schwartz
Parents & Guardians don’t make their children curious, research shows that it's a child’s internal desire to know more, to learn more, and to ask more. This inquisitiveness leads them to seek out new experiences and this leads to greater success in life.
Curiosity is something all babies are born with. They come into the world with a drive to understand how the world works.
- A newborn follows sounds, faces and interesting objects with her eyes.
- A toddler takes a stool to reach the counter-top where the phone is – “a toy” she loves to play with.
- A 10 year old is curious about been a teenager and what it entails
- A 13 year old is curious about art or science and it goes on and on
A child becomes aware of the environment early on in life and relies on their parents to nurture this desire. Here are some tips to help you nurture and leverage your child’s curiosity.
Model interest in the world around you. Take a walk outside and wonder aloud about the trees, the sky, the stars. Also let your child see you pursuing interests of your own.
Follow your child’s lead. Encourage natural interests. If she desires to dance, dance with
her. If she wants a frog, get her one. If she wants to create her own garden, gather the soil for her
- Answer questions simply and clearly and if you don’t know the answer, say so. This also provides an opportunity to model how to find answers.
- Stimulate your child with open-ended questions. Questions that don’t have a right or wrong response, and can’t be answered with only one word like “yes” or “no”. “How did you find the experience at the zoo?”, “Tell me about what happened in school today.” These kinds of questions encourage your child to develop his thoughts and ideas, shows love and interest, and will give you a window into his inner life.
Create an interesting environment. Pictures on the wall and normal family activity are naturally fascinating. Rotate your supply to keep it “fresh.”
