{"id":20515,"date":"2020-05-02T04:36:09","date_gmt":"2020-05-02T04:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=20515"},"modified":"2020-05-03T04:40:08","modified_gmt":"2020-05-03T04:40:08","slug":"why-are-kids-asking-such-big-questions-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/why-are-kids-asking-such-big-questions-during-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are kids asking such big questions during the pandemic?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jana Mohr Lone<\/a>, University of Washington<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Why do people have to die?<\/em><\/p>\n

Are mistakes always bad?<\/em><\/p>\n

Can you be happy and sad at the same time?<\/em><\/p>\n

Kids often ask questions like these that are hard if not impossible to answer.
\nWhen children raise uncomfortable questions or questions that seem to have no answers, adults tend to respond with explanations that try to resolve the issue, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s natural to attempt to comfort a kid who is feeling bewildered by the world.<\/p>\n

But simple explanations may not be what the child needs or wants, especially as the coronavirus pandemic upends everyday life. Sometimes, kids simply want to talk about their questions and thoughts.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n Parents can\u2019t answer every question.<\/span>
\n Martin Novak\/Getty Images<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Listening<\/h2>\n

I\u2019m a philosopher and educator<\/a> who has been listening to children and talking with them about their big philosophical questions<\/a> for the past 25 years. I encourage all young people to think for themselves<\/a> about issues that matter to them because it\u2019s important for them to learn how to analyze and understand their own experiences.<\/p>\n

Most kids start wondering about big questions<\/a> almost as soon as they learn to speak, and they continue to think about them throughout childhood.<\/p>\n

Brimming with curiosity<\/a> about things that most adults take for granted, children all over the world are wide open to the mysteries that pervade human life<\/a>. Research shows<\/a>, though, that as they get older, kids ask questions less and less.<\/p>\n

Children often tell me that they lie awake at night thinking about things like whether God exists, why the world has the colors it does, the nature of time and whether dreams are real<\/a>. These are not the kinds of questions that can be answered by Googling them or asking Siri or Alexa. They are age-old questions that everyone can wonder about during any stage of life.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the questions are more important than finding the answers.<\/p>\n