Questions to Ask Your Kids or Partner
Have you ever found that kids ask a lot of questions? How is it that early in life they learn the word why. I remember when my children were young and asking things like, ‘Mummy, why is the sky blue.’ My answer, ‘Because that’s the way God made it.’ Thinking that answer would suffice it was always followed by, ‘Why, mummy? Why did God make the sky blue?’
Why, why, why. A question that never leaves us and one that from a young age leaves us wanting more. I can see why some children become scientists, adventurers and ones who will discover. That three letter word propels them forward. Always questioning, always searching for more, knowing that there is more. Fascinating.
As parents, we are asked a lot of questions, and for you, younger parents can I politely suggest that you thank God, and people like Robert Taylor and Lawrence Roberts who were two pioneers in the world of computers and sharing information. They, amongst a plethora of others, began the journey to what we now know to be a single word ‘GOOGLE‘ that solves any math equation that is beyond our grasp and offers you up the reason why the sky is, in fact, blue. Providing you with the opportunity to look like a genius in front of your kids and perhaps even unsuspecting dinner guests.
Thanks to technology we have a lot of answers, and we can tap any keyboard and discover new things every day. Information is literally at our fingertips. But what about the information we can’t search, the stuff that isn’t on Google and the things we want to know but can’t find online? By that I mean information about those in our lives. Our kids, our spouse or partner, our friends. How do we access that information?
Simply put. Time spent together, in conversation, taking time to get to know one another beyond our apparent likes and dislikes whether that information is gained via what someone likes on social media or what you have picked up from their style, eating habits, etc.
The way we get to know someone and learn about what makes them tick is by spending time, talking, engaging and listening. As easy as that sounds, the pure art of communication is being lost amidst gigabytes, data plans, games, on-demand programming and more. Are we losing the ability to speak to one another and hear one another? When was the last time you talked to your children or your partner and learned something about them?
When we sit and think about it, and we are honest with ourselves, sometimes it’s been awhile. Now, if that’s the case, don’t beat yourself up. It happens. Life gets busy, we feel like we are communicating, but really, we are barking orders at one another, sharing details about life but not speaking and listening to one another.
If this is something that has happened to you, don’t dismay, everything can change and it will, but it takes time to breathe and embrace some of the talking points below. And, for those reading, don’t think these questions are age specific, they stretch across the age demographic and allow the opportunity to be used with little ones, teens, partners and grandparents.
- What is your favourite thing to do?
- What is your favourite food?
- If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why?
- What makes you happy?
- What do you think is funny
These are just a few seemingly simple questions to ask those in your world, and I promise that as you ask they will open doors of communication that lead to more and deeper connection that will bring lasting change into your home, family and relationships.
Have fun with these.
Much love,
Susanna #littlemiraclescommunity