Kids Are Natural Detectives

I think anyone who has an ounce of common sense and wants to have children knows that those kids are going to start asking questions once they get old enough to talk. My kids are experts at it. There are all the usual kinds of questions, like, "Mommy, what are you doing?", "Where are we going?", "What's for dinner?", "Where is my ...?" What amazes me sometimes, though, is two things.

First of all, there is the sheer VOLUME of questions. Yes, I understand ... questions are how kids learn. I have to admit, though, that I didn't remember the world being so full of questions when I was a kid. It probably was, but my goodness! Seems sometimes like I get questions 24 hours a day per child ... and that's multiplied by three children. It's no wonder I'm ready to stop talking at the end of the day!

The other thing that is sometimes challenging is the complexity of the questions. When I'm explaining mixing up a batch of muffins and the things I put in them, it's not really a big deal. I can usually even manage the slightly more unusual ones, like whether a jet plane is faster than a tornado. But once in a while I get one from left field, like yesterday. My older two boys and I were headed to the farm supply place for gardening supplies, when my almost five-year-old asked "Mommy, what do the people do who die at the cemetery?" Um ...

Ok, easy part first, kiddo ... most people don't actually DIE at the cemetery. That happens somewhere else. But then I was faced with trying to figure out what the actual question was. Was he asking about the family and what they did when someone died? Was he asking about being buried and what that was all about? Was he asking about what happens when we die? All fairly complex questions for someone who's not even going to be five for another six weeks. I'm not sure I ever did really figure out what the question was. All I know is that either I managed to come up with something that satisfied him, or he got bored listening to Mom beating around the bush.

Once upon a time, I considered becoming a teacher for a living. I finally decided that I didn't think I had the temperament to try and deal with 20 or 30 kids going in all directions every day. I don't guess I had ever stopped to ponder that I am a teacher now, though only of three of my own. I must be learner and teacher ... a walking mix of  the Bible  and the "World Book Encyclopedia" for my children to open and learn from at the drop of a hat. Sometimes in Mommy-hood, you gotta be prepared for anything.