¿Cómo responder a las preguntas de los niños? // How to answer children's questions?

Hola queridos amigos de @motherhood. Sabemos que los niños son curiosos por naturaleza, y hay una edad en la que son una máquina de hacer preguntas, y esto es muy bueno, ya que en su crecimiento y desarrollo intelectual necesitan descubrir y comprender el mundo que los rodea, preguntan por partes del cuerpo, por el espacio, los animales, y muchas cosas; pero de vez en cuando pueden llegar a nosotros con una difícil pregunta para la que no estamos preparados o nos abordan en un momento en que los problemas de los adultos nos sobrepasan y no podemos darles nuestra atención, y respondemos de forma ambigua o evadimos de algún modo la pregunta, lo que solo los deja desorientados o confundidos.

My son is 7 years old, and he asks a lot of questions, things like why is the night sky black, how do you form a rainbow, how many stars are there in space, why can't I see the air, and the very popular "where do babies come from? And I have noticed that many adults tend to evade, and even ridicule questions like these, I once heard someone say "don't ask dumb questions", I could only think at that moment "seriously, don't you know how deep a question like why the sky is blue is, do you know how much science it takes to answer that simple question"?

Yes, I understand that sometimes they come to us with their questions at times when we are loaded with work or worries and we do not have our heads ready to answer, it is even reasonable that we do not even know the answer, but it is important to assume a good attitude, not only because we confuse them more, but also because imitation is an important aspect of their training, and the attitude we assume in front of their questions somehow prepares them to respond in the same way in the future.

That is why I want to share with you some strategies that I find appropriate, and that I try to put into practice.

If at the moment they approach us our mind is full with another matter, let's try not to answer ambiguously or ridicule them as I said before, they have a real need to know. If I am very busy with something at work I tell my child "that's a good question, when I finish work I will explain it to you".

In this way he will not feel alluded, he will notice that his question is valid and was heard, and luckily on the internet there is a lot of information on any topic, that can give us the time we need to prepare properly to answer at another time or seek advice from someone more experienced if we do not know how to dose the information, but we should never respond with silence and a look of anger, evasion or mockery, we must make them feel confident that their parents listen to them and value their concerns.

As I already mentioned, answering evasively or even with lies is a big mistake, we must answer clearly according to the level of understanding of the child, and give a valid answer, nothing like "children are brought by the stork" or "those are adult issues" and that kind of things that only leaves them more confused. On the other hand, we must also be honest if we don't know the answer, sometimes I tell my son "hey that's interesting, I really don't know, but let's look for an answer and together we will learn" that is an incredible opportunity to encourage learning and research.

I think on a couple of occasions I have given my son an answer and then discovered my mistake, once we were watching a movie and he asked me where an animal came from, I answered them but I was left with the doubt, then I looked it up on the internet and realized that the information was not entirely true, so I called him to admit my mistake and correct the information I had given him. Perhaps this may not seem important, but in fact it is something very favorable, since the new knowledge can lead to new questions and helps to clarify the information given, in addition, it serves the children as an example of the attitude that we adults assume, which helps them to perfect their own language and effective communication.

Let's remember that we are their main referents as sources of information and knowledge, so we must have an appropriate attitude towards their questions and give answers that are appropriate to their age but that can satisfy their need to know. It is also important to help them find the answers by themselves, stimulate their thinking and encourage their curiosity, allow them to ask questions, this strengthens the dialogue with their parents and the affective exchange.

In our hands is to transmit confidence or crush their self-esteem, with our answers we must affirm that they are intelligent beings, and although sometimes these questions put us to the test, we must be able to help them channel their curiosity, since encouraging open dialogue at an early age will make it easier for them to approach us to discuss important issues in the future, thus preventing them from seeking answers with another adult perhaps less able to respond.