I should start by saying that these aren’t really annoying questions. It’s just that after you’ve already had a full day, you just don’t have the energy or patience left to handle a ceaseless barrage of questions from curious little minds. Let’s be honest. As much as we love them, children can be draining. Remember Mindy from Animaniacs? She was the little girl who kept asking, “Why?” Kids can be like that sometimes.

But, as exhausting as they can be, bombarding you with annoying questions about everything, these questions are a good thing. Because the world needs more nerds. As parents and caregivers, we should do our best to encourage this kind of curiosity. Let them ask questions. Don’t dismiss them now, because you want them to come to you, to feel comfortable asking you the big questions when the time comes. A curious mind, paired with a warm and accepting relationship, can be a truly powerful thing.

Questions From a 6-Year-Old

And so, just as I answered curious questions from a five-year-old a few months ago, I’m back with some more questions, this time from a six-year-old. Yes, she still asks a lot of questions. This is but a small sampling of what she’s asked me these past couple of months.

Are mermaids real?

I know some parents who will say this is a bit of a cop-out, but I answer these sorts of questions with a question. “What do you think?” In the end, I told her that we don’t know for sure.

Why do you like to work so much?

She sees me at the computer a lot and she knows that I have a lot of meetings these days. Because I work from home, my “work” is very visible to her, even if she doesn’t really understand what I do for a living. I explained to her that I work because we need money to pay for this house, the car, our food, electricity, internet access, and all the rest of it.

Why don’t you need to work?

When I took a few weeks off work for parental leave, she was a little confused why I wasn’t working. (See question above.) I said that I was able to not work for a little bit so that I could take care of her new baby brother. And to spend more time with her. She was happy with this answer. She wasn’t as happy when my parental leave ended (and neither was I).

What are you grateful for?

At school, her class dedicated a unit on the notion of gratitude and thankfulness. I’m glad that they’re having these kinds of discussions, paying attention to all the good that we have in our lives. It’s been a while since I last posted a Thankful Thursday. It’s important to reflect. For now, I’m grateful that at least my professional life hasn’t really been impacted by the pandemic, and that our family is generally happy and healthy.

Are you still mad at me?

You know how I said parents “should” encourage this kind of curiosity, even if they feel like annoying questions sometimes? Well, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m only human. Particularly when I’m sleep-deprived or feeling depressed, I can also be more irritable. I’m not proud of it. This can manifest itself as being “short” with her or “snapping” at her, especially when my patience is worn thin. She melts my heart every time she asks and I feel like a real piece of work.

Why do babies sleep so much?

Because their tiny little bodies can only store so much energy. They need lots of rest so they can grow up big and strong like you!

Why is Max furry?

So, as you know, we welcomed baby Max into the world back in September. She had some big expectations for what being a big sister was all about. While she had some basic understanding of anatomy and bodily processes, she wasn’t expecting her little brother to be “furry.” Sometimes called baby fuzz, “lanugo” is downy hair that can appear all over a baby’s body. It goes away on its own eventually and is likely some vestigial remnant from our evolutionary ancestors.

Are fairies real?

This was around the time that her first baby teeth were about to come out to make room for her adult teeth. As you might expect, she had some questions about the Tooth Fairy… like if the Tooth Fairy is real. I tackled this the same way I tackled the mermaid question above. She said, “I think they’re just make believe.” But, she did leave her teeth under her pillow anyway and was very pleased to find coins under there the next morning.

What are fractions?

No, she’s not quite at this point in her math class just yet. Fractions came up in one of the books she was reading. (She loves the Babymouse series.) I told her it’s like when you cut up a pizza or a pie. If you have 1/4 (“one-fourth”), that means that you cut it into four pieces and you have one piece. I hope she retains this interest in math, clear through to the quadratic equation and beyond.

What does innocent mean?

Again, this was in the context of a book she was reading. (She loves to read and I’m so grateful for that.) One of the characters got in trouble at school but asserted that they were innocent. I told her that if someone is innocent, it means that they didn’t do anything wrong.

Are you happy?

Sometimes, the simplest questions are also the most profound. Maybe these are annoying questions because I don’t know the answer. I feel like I should be happy. Between a fulfilling job, a loving family, and a general sense of middle class comfort, the ingredients are there. Let’s just say some days are better than others. Blame it on the existential angst or the midlife crisis or something.

Kids Ask the Darndest Things

Have your kids been asking you a lot of annoying questions…. er, I mean “curious” questions lately? Please share some of these questions (and your answers) by leaving a comment below. It’s funny, really, because sometimes these deceptively simple questions can really challenge your understanding of something. Would you be able to answer how a TV works? Or why we have to pay for things?