How to Raise a Curious Child

A child is born and immediately explores the world all around, but want to know how to continue to raise a curious child? We can provide some great tips on how to encourage inquisitiveness. 

It’s important to encourage and stimulate children so that they develop their curiosity. You will have a child who is a great thinker and is confident in asking questions. 

Why Do Children Become Less Curious?

When children are young, as parents and teachers we may guide them to stop behaviors to try to keep them safe and to mold them into good people. But sometimes, not intentionally, we may squelch their natural instincts. For example, a young child might be interested in something like water. Depending on the situation, you might want to keep the child from the water. Perhaps they cannot swim or maybe you are concerned about them getting wet and dirty. A simple response of pulling the child away from the water can inadvertently discourage curiosity. 

What is Beneficial in Being Curious?

• Increase versatility and flexibility
• Improve creativity
• Better at reasoning
• Overall increases academic success
• Better behavior
• Increased happiness
• Drives learning

 

Be a good example.

Model the behavior you want to see. As you do things with the child, make sure to verbalize your questions and curiosity. Also, it is important to have hobbies and interests that you do. Your child will notice and try to mimic your behavior.

Encourage your child.

Foster any natural interest that your child exhibits. This could be things like nature, science, music, art, and more. Sometimes a child’s interest is not something that interests you. Make sure you provide your child with the materials and experiences that excite him or her and encourage them to follow their inquisitiveness.

Be simple.

As a child grows, there will be lots of questions so be ready for them. Make sure you understand what your child is asking and then answer as directly and simply as you can. It’s okay if you don’t always have answers. You can be a great model of how one finds out information. 

Use your resources.

Trips to the library and reading are extremely important. Books provide endless information so make certain your young children are reading and you are reading with your child.

Change up routine.

While children thrive on schedules, it’s great to mix things up once in a while. Change can stimulate your child and have them explore new opportunities. Little surprises can offer a new way of looking at things.

Ask open-ended questions.

What do you think about….? Why do you think that happened…? It is great to ask open-ended questions to your child. There is no wrong response to these types of questions. And, this will encourage your child to develop their own ideas and to be able to express them. 

Provide the setting. 

If at all possible, surround your child with interesting things to look at, toys to play with, and books to read. It is great to take adventures to new places and new restaurants. Encourage children to explore their surroundings.

Redirect.

Try not to discourage. Again, keeping your child safe can interfere with their natural instincts. If you must stop your child, try to figure out a safe alternative.

Open-ended activities are great.

Utilize toys that can be used in many ways like blocks, art material, sand and more. Try to let your child do what they want with the objects.