The Questions Children Ask–Help Me?
Jeff VanderMeer • August 18th, 2007 @ 8:33 am • Uncategorized
I’m doing some research for a piece of fiction I’m working on and there’s a character that goes through a phase where the entire world is new to them.
What I need from you guys are the kinds of questions you’ve heard kids ask–the ones that show an underlying processing of the world that’s different from an adult. Like Erin once saying, “Is that a long mouse?” when she first saw a ferret? Just generally the questions that reveal a certain innocence about the world, sometimes coupled with baseline assumptions that are kinda true but also kinda off.
Anyway, it would be very helpful. Anything you’ve heard your kid say or some other kid say.
I’ve got my own list already, of course, but more would be good.
Jeff
August 18, 2007 at 8:45 am
Talking about hairy mammals like mice and ferrets: After looking at me very intensely, my youngest daughter (3)anxiously asked : “Will I get fur in my nose, too?”
August 18, 2007 at 10:16 am
I’ve heard pins and needles refered to as lemonade legs.
Mostly, I hear children asking questions that don’t…work. Like…where something comes from, when ‘where’ doesn’t apply. And why, always why.
(I think why is actually an automated response to make sure they keep your attention, ’cause I’ve caught them out before, and they’re not listening to the answers I give them.)
(Which is probably for the best.)
August 18, 2007 at 10:55 am
Yes–questions that don’t work are the ones I want, too!
Jeff
August 18, 2007 at 1:08 pm
The kid of a friend of mine a long time ago asked:
“What is bigger, the universe, or my imagination?”
August 18, 2007 at 3:53 pm
My son is great for certain questions and statements. Here are some of my favorites. There are more, trust me.
5) We shaved his head for the summer. After it was done he was rubbing his hand over his hair and said that his head felt “sparkly”
4) During potty training he one time went into the bathroom then came back and peed in his pants right in front of me. He told me that he couldn’t use the toilet because there were aliens in the toilet.
3) Watching cartoons one morning my son informed my daughter that Voltron didn’t have a butt because robots dont have butts
2) On Martin Luther Kings birthday he came home and told me all about the boycotts, the buses, Rosa Parks. He then asked me if knew that MLK had died. I said yes. He then told me that MLK died because he fell out of an airplane.
1) After Presidents day he came home and told me what he had learned. He told me that a long time ago all of the presidents got into a sword fight. Since George Washington won the sword fight he became the first president.
August 18, 2007 at 9:15 pm
“Is everything the world?”
August 19, 2007 at 1:51 am
When I was in kindergarten, the teacher got onto an American history kick for a few weeks. First we learned about Martin Luther King, then we learned about Abraham Lincoln, always assisted by lots of biographical picture books. Then we learned about George Washington. The first time the teacher sat all the kids down and read a book about his life, she got to the end and one kid raised his hand. His question was, “What about the part where he got shot?”
Pretty natural after the MLK and Abraham Lincoln units, of course.
August 19, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I don’t know that I can think of questions, but finding one’s own names for things in the world without asking for one from the adult/parental tour guide would qualify, wouldn’t it?
My daughter’s done that a few times. Overalls are “knickknacks”, for reasons she’s never been able to articulate. Ponytails are “pony ups”, which strikes me as a I-sort-of-listened name. Once when we were at the movie theater concession stand, she watched as the kids in front of us ordered Slurpys. When it was our turn, she didn’t hesitate: “I want a snow drink, Mommy.”
August 20, 2007 at 1:04 am
This past week I was teaching my sixth graders, first week of class. I told them my name and I’d be teaching English and Latin. An earnest hand shoots in the air. “Do you know anyone who practices the ancient arts of telepathy and telekinesis?” Hmm. “No,” I reply as gracefully as I can, “But if you meet anyone who does, I’d be really interested to meet them.” Ten minutes later, same hand shoots in the air again, he’s cutting to the chase. “Will we be learning Magic this year?” Clearly his parents, or our principal, sold him on the idea of taking Latin, just like the spells in Harry Potter.
From my past (they are all teenagers now, as of yesterday):
A response to a lame parental threat to a four year-old regarding certain behaviors and a visit from Santa Claus: “He is old, he will forget.”
I’m listening to a new CD; a certain five year-old enters the room: “Mommy, will you turn down the Marilyn Manson? I’m trying to learn to read!”
Same four year old. An adult friend has gifted her with darling mini Dr. Martins scored from a yard sale. “I am the Queen of Wob (Rob) Zombie!”
Six-year old son: “Mom, everyone has a little bit of girl in them and a little bit of boy. Some girls like have more boy in them, and some boys have more girl in them.”
A ten year old having scored a set of desert forks from a swap meet: “You know you’re growing up when you start liking things like forks and lamps. ”
“Why did John Lennon have to die?” (Why are so many of these music related?)
Parent (not me) pointing to a picture of Jimi Hendrix: Who is this?
Two year-old: God.
August 20, 2007 at 8:23 am
Nice, everybody–thanks.
Betsy–that’s great stuff!
Jeff
August 20, 2007 at 9:12 am
My 5 year old asked me earlier -
“what kind of sea is that” – meaning what is the name of that bit of sea (we where discussing the river that runs past our house and driving past where it runs into the sea)
He is fascinated by numbers and has asked things like:
“What is the biggest number?” , “what number is in the middle?”
The best one timing wise – I was bang in the middle of a busy junction with traffic coming at me in all directions when he asked “what happens when people die?”
My 3 year old son was trying to claim he was the tallest of everyone in the family today:
G: “I’m the tallest out of you”
me: “Really – and is Carrie taller than you?” ( carrie is my youngest and I was working on the principle he was had tallest the wrong way round)
G: “No – Carrie is the smallest’
me: “Oh ok – so your the tallest out of all of us”
G: (with very cheeky grin) “yes”
August 20, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Well, my daughter (who isn’t four yet) has an interesting concept of time, and keeps asking us when she is going to be a baby again, and when she is going to be a grownup again, and when she is going to be four again, and two again….
Which I think it kind of cool. Like the moments are randomly strung together, and now only exists as some point presented in front of you to experience. Kind of like reading Delany’s Empire Star for the first time.
August 20, 2007 at 3:50 pm
All my kid says is “bwa” but I am deluded enough a parent to think that it’s worth wasting your time with that information simply because I find it adorably cute.
August 21, 2007 at 12:50 am
LOL! – JV
August 21, 2007 at 6:20 am
quote “stolen” from somewhere else
We were talking about religion today
and my 6 years old kid asked me “religion? is that a legendary pokemon?”
August 22, 2007 at 7:16 am
My daughter (six, so possibly too old for what you’re looking for) asked me: “Mama, can you insideout my shirt?”
Her shirt was already inside out, she wanted me to put it right side out so she could put it back on.