HOW TO RAISE AN INQUISITIVE CHILD | AD

16th August 2021 Family

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Children are naturally curious about the world – that’s why they ask so many questions! Although it can get tedious when your child asks “why?” for the twentieth time that day, it’s important we don’t stifle their innate curiosity. Instead we should encourage our children to explore the world and seek out clues to help them build their own opinion on things. Here’s some advice from a nursery in Amersham on how you can encourage your child to be more inquisitive. 

Photo by Tanaphong Toochinda on Unsplash

Encourage discussion

Start conversations regularly about various topics and invite your child to contribute their own ideas and thoughts on the matter. Prompt them to draw on their life experience so far and any situations they’ve encountered which might inform their thoughts on a particular matter. Asking what they think of something tells them that their opinion matters, and that it’s okay to form your own views on things. Encouraging healthy discussion frequently will enhance your child’s natural inquisitiveness about the world. 

Use books and TV

When reading a story together or watching a movie, ask your child what they think about it, why a certain character might have behaved in a particular way, or how they think it might end. This will encourage them to approach life by wondering about things, rather than having certain expectations about how they should be. This also helps develop their critical thinking skills and ability to form decisions independently. 

Change their routine

Although daily structure is important in helping children feel secure, mixing up their normal routine every now and then will stimulate their brain to think differently and provoke their natural curiosity. Even something as simple as changing the body wash they normally use or swapping their toothpaste can help prompt discussions around textures and smells, and why certain things are made the way they are. 

Embrace questioning

Although endless questions can get a little annoying, especially when you’re a busy parent, it’s important to take the time to answer them fully and give your child the information they’re seeking to form an opinion about something. The more questions they ask, the more they’ll learn to think things through for themselves and critically analyse situations. Once children know something about a subject, they tend to get even more curious about it, so answering their questions might lead them to researching things further. 

Embracing and encouraging your child’s natural inquisitiveness about the world will help them learn what interests them and prompt them to think independently as they grow and mature.