One of the most remarkable characteristics of childhood is an insatiable curiosity. The curious children ask curious questions because they are curious about the world around them. They want to know more. They want to know what, where and why something is. So, they ask questions. Remember when I shared questions from a 4-year-old? Well, it’s time for a follow-up, this time with our now 5-year-old.

More and more, I’ve found that curious questions from children are oftentimes “curious” because we, as adults, don’t really understand something. There’s no such thing as a stupid question, as they say. They also say that you don’t really understand something unless you can explain it in such a way that a child can understand. Well, I’m challenged on a regular basis. Let’s take a look.

Is Toronto open? Like right now?

I suspect this is because sometimes when she asks if she can go somewhere (like the mall), we tell her that it’s closed. If it’s open, then maybe we can go. She had a great time when we visited Toronto last fall, including our time at the Toronto Zoo. We’d visited the year before too (and I vlogged about it). So, she wants to go again.

Prior to the current situation with COVID-19, it would sound pretty far-fetched for a city to be “closed.” But, given recent developments, maybe it’s not so far-fetched after all. For all my friends in the GTA, is Toronto open? Like right now?

What does opposite mean? What’s the opposite of table?

I’m a little more confident when she asks me for the opposite of purple. For that, I can turn to the color wheel and tell her the opposite of purple is yellow. But, can you explain what “opposite” really means without using examples to illustrate? This is perhaps one of the best examples of when children test how well you really understand something. The opposite of table is… chair? That’s not right. Sitting on the floor? Not exactly. I have no idea.

What are crows for?

Everything, in her eyes, has some sort of purpose. A car is for getting us somewhere. Her elbow exists so that her arm can bend. But, what purpose do crows serve? A bit of context here: for those of you who also live in Metro Vancouver, you may be familiar with the massive murder of crows who live near the BCIT, Still Creek Drive kind of area. We see them often. There are, quite literally, thousands of them.

I suppose when we think about the usual food chain (or, more accurately, “food web”), crows probably serve a purpose. In the wild, I imagine they eat just about everything. Around here, they’re eating more leftover McDonald’s and digging up people’s lawns in search of European chafer beetle grubs.

Is “Duplo” a real word for big blocks?

What is a “real word” anyway? Do we have to wait until a word enters an official dictionary for us to consider it a real word? Terms like “solopreneur” and “vacay” only got added to Merriam-Webster last year, but we’ve been using them for years. And then there are certain brand names that have become generic terms, like Q-Tips and Band-Aids. And LEGO. Who calls them “plastic building bricks,” right?

Did you know the swings are my exercise thing?

Sure. Exercise is good.

Yes, curious questions can be quite curious. And, any parent can attest that the incessant barrage of questions can get annoying be overwhelming. Even so, I really want to nurture this never-ending quest for knowledge and understanding. She wants to know about the world and I want to come along for the journey.

Have your children asked any “interesting” questions lately?