How to Raise an Inquisitive Child*

*This is a collaborative post*

 

Babies and young children are naturally very curious because they are still making sense of the world around them. Who are these people? What does this do? How does this work? However, this inquisitive nature doesn’t always continue into adolescence; their enjoyment of learning drops as they get older. Fortunately, there are various things that parents can do to prolong this curiosity and ensure their child maintains a healthy attitude towards learning throughout their school years and even beyond. Here are some tips from an independent prep school in London.

Lead by example and share your own interests and passions with your child. If you’ve read an interesting article or learnt something new at work, share it with your child and demonstrate that learning doesn’t end with childhood. Think aloud sometimes and ask questions to show that curiosity is perfectly normal. Asking your child some thought provoking questions will also spark an interesting conversation and encourage them to think outside of the box. Here are some examples of questions you could ask your child to get them thinking:

• Where do you think this rain has come from?

• Where is your favourite place in the world?

• Why do you think the birds always come back to the same spot in our garden?

• If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

• What do you think will happen to these trees in winter?

• If dogs could speak, what do you think they would say?

• What’s your dream job?

The more questions you ask, no matter how random, the more likely your child will ask questions back. And when they do, try not to shrug them off or tell them your too busy, because this will just put them off coming to you again in the future. If you don’t know the answers to their questions, use it as an opportunity to do some research together. 

It’s also a good idea to mix up your child’s routine every now and again so that their learning environment doesn’t become stale. Go on some adventures, try a new recipe or read a new book; anything that gives your child the chance to look at things from a new perspective. The idea is to keep things as fresh and exhilarating as possible.

 

*Photo source Pexels

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