“Why do bears hibernate?” asked my son. “How do they know it’s time to go to sleep?” he continued. “How do they know when to wake up? And what if they wake up too soon and it’s still winter?” Question followed question after we read a storybook in which a bear was preparing for a long winter nap.
Asking questions is a primary way that we make sense of the world around us. Neuroscientists say that children’s minds are wired to explore and query things they don’t understand. Sometimes they are quick to express their questions out loud, whereas other times they wonder by mulling over possibilities in their heads. We might not know they are pondering a question until they trumpet a new discovery aloud.
Yet children are in danger of losing interest in curiosity. That’s because many societies value having right answers more highly than exploring ideas. Schools want kids to perform well on standardized tests. Companies want workers that can perform certain tasks or communicate information accurately. Taking time to figure out something on one’s own is less efficient than memorizing answers provided by others.
Curiosity is like a muscle: it needs to be exercised. If children are not given time and encouragement to ask questions and search for answers, they grow into less curious teens and adults. They learn that information-seeking is only worthwhile if it helps one receive an external reward – a good grade, a promotion at work. Exploring something just because it’s interesting or perplexing may seem like a waste of time.
However, curiosity is essential for communities and kids to thrive. Curiosity stimulates creativity and prompts innovative ideas. A changing world raises new questions that need to be researched and explored. These questions are often complex and may not follow the same logic as the information we already have. Children need experience exploring complex issues and imagining possible responses so they can contribute meaningfully to community needs now and in the future.
Studies suggest that the greatest predictor of children’s curiosity is how the adults around them model inquisitiveness. When parents, caregivers, and teachers admit that they don’t know something and express interest in learning more, we model curiosity. When we ask children to share what interests them and support them in researching these topics, we affirm curiosity. In both cases, acting excited about opportunities to follow a question to possible answers communicates that we value curiosity.
Be aware, though, that encouraging curiosity also requires making time for curious exploration. Busy families will have to decide what they might do less of in order to make space for wondering and research. Perhaps it’s enjoying takeout once a week and using dinner prep time for exploring a question. Or maybe it’s listening to a podcast on a subject of interest rather than binging one more episode of a favorite show.
Experts also say that providing unstructured time supports curiosity as well. When kids are bored, they are more motivated to find ways to offset that boredom. They might take apart a toy to see how it works, conduct experiments with leaves to figure out what makes them decompose, or challenge each other to build a better snow fort. Set boundaries to keep them safe and then set them free to discover what interests them.
Comments