Why?

Because… Why, is the shortest question to find an answer.  When you are not sure of what to ask or where to start, the beginning is always ‘Why?’ Why is this the way it is? Why is this not done differently?  And my favorite from every three-year-old, why is the sky blue?

It is no mistake that the curiosity of the very young mind starts with this three-letter word.  And such usage must ask for the top tier of knowledge.  What’s more, there is a substantial likelihood that your tot is asking the exact same questions that you asked when you were their age.  The same ones your parents asked their mom and dad.

Imagine if you had a real answer ready to go in return.  ‘Timmy, the sky is blue because that is the color reflected from the oceans around the world.’  The next time the same query is asked, you can say, “Remember, Timmy, it is because of the reflections of the ocean into the sky.”

Does this take a little legwork? Sure.  Yet every time you answer a question with real information, does that not make everyone just a little bit smarter?

Smarter, at a younger age, appears to open the way to better questions.  If you are hit with a subject you are not sure of, you can say, “that is a wonderful question.  Would you like to see how we find the answers?” Then you could take them to the library, look up the answer on your tablet or smartphone, or use some other method to find facts about the subject.  Even YouTube is getting better at this.

The more a child realizes that he or she is taken seriously, and real facts can be found, the faster real learning starts.  The answers are relevant both to knowledge and better future questions.  Does this mean your kid will be an Einstein by age 12? Probably not.  Yet even if the queries are short-lived, the way you answer could make a valuable and lasting memory.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof