I was a "why?" child

[hyphenate]

I was a "why?" child. I never stopped. I confess some of it was very trivial, but a lot of it was true curiosity. Were you a "why?" child, and are you still a "why?" person? Sometimes, I go in a direction, and become more of a "why not?" person. Once you find out one, you can look for answers to unasked questions.

[dimbear]

1. Better the child asking than the parents. n/t

[hyphenate]

9. Unfortunately

in a lot of cases, the adults didn't get their "why" questions answered when they were kids!

[MiddleFingerMom]

2. Calvin & Hobbes' dad:

.
.
.
Q. Why does the sun set?
A. It's because hot air rises. The sun's hot in the middle of the day, so it rises high
in the sky. In the evening then, it cools down and sets.

Q. Why does it go from east to west?
A. Solar wind.

Q. Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?
A. That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.

Q. Where does the sun go when it sets?
A. The sun sets in the west. In Arizona actually, near Flagstaff. That's why the rocks
there are so red.

Q. Don't the people get burned up?
A. No, the sun goes out as it sets. That's why it's dark at night.

Q. Doesn't the sun crush the whole state as it lands?
A. Ha ha, of course not. Hold a quarter up. See, the sun's just about the same size.

Q. I thought I read that the sun was really big.
A. You can't believe everything you read, I'm afraid.
.
.
.

[RedCloud]

4. Why is the moon so big and yellow some times?

Answer: That's before all the rats and mice jump on it and eat all that cheese.

[hyphenate]

8. Yes,

but how did the rats and mice get to the moon, and why aren't there cats there who are going to eat the mice and rats?

:)

[polly7]

3. I was a 'why' child too. My poor Dad, I followed his every

step asking 'why', or 'how' every ten seconds, I'm sure. He had the patience of a saint.

[hyphenate]

7. I was pretty much the same way

I did vary the person I asked, though, so no one had to deal with hundreds of questions! But it never amazes me to think of how many topics I asked about, showing an interest in just about everything. I don't think a lot of them ever got properly answered!

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I was a why child who grew up to be a why adult. I want to know, dammit!

I also answer the "why?" questions of the children in my life even after all the other adults have resorted to "because" for an answer. If a child doesn't ask questions, how are they going to learn things?

[hyphenate]

6. Exactly

But the problem growing up is knowing which adult has the right answer, and isn't feeding you a line!

I think school needs to have a time when kids are young and very inquisitive where they can ask all their questions to teachers and get some satisfaction for them. Maybe a sort of introduction period in kindergarten or 1st grade, where kids could get to know each other and realize that they're not the only ones asking the questions. And maybe some educators could write books devoted to answering questions in certain subjects that are aimed for children. I know I would have read books on why there are rainbows, why it rains, why the sky gets dark, why there is a moon, etc. I think sparking interest in science, for one, would be a great boon to kids and inspire some of them to become more involved in science and math.