Deep Thoughts from the Back Seat
Summertime usually brings slower days and a little more time spent in the car or around the house. Over the past week, my almost 7-year-old daughter has randomly looked out the window and asked some of the most innocent and genuinely curious questions about life. The kind of questions that stop you in your tracks and remind you how differently children see the world. In between errands, activities, and the everyday rush, her wonder has been a gentle reminder to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate the simple things we often overlook.
Question #1: “Mom, does it hurt to grow up?
I immediately thought about what it means to grow up. It can mean slowly trading some of the innocence and carefree joy of childhood for responsibilities, heartbreaks, hard decisions, and lessons learned the hard way. I paused at a stoplight, preparing to launch into a heartfelt speech about how growing up means discovering who you are, finding people you love, creating memories, and experiencing the moments that make life meaningful. But before I could go full Oprah on her, she followed up with, “Like, do your bones and skin hurt when they stretch out?”
And just like that, my deep philosophical reflection circled right back to elementary school science. Sometimes kids are pondering the meaning of life, and sometimes they’re just wondering how growth spurts work. The tricky part is figuring out which one you’re getting before you answer.
Question #2: “Who were the first people in the whole world to get married?”
Again, my mind immediately started racing. Do we go biblical with Adam and Eve? Are we talking ancient civilizations? Or is the correct answer somehow Barbie and Ken? Before I could sort through years of human history and formulate a reasonably accurate response, I realized she was just fascinated by the idea that someone had to be first. The first people to get married. The first people to become parents. The first people to decide that maybe living in the same cave forever sounded like a good idea.
I was completely stumped, so I pulled out the tried-and-true parenting maneuver: “Wow, that’s a really good question. Who do you think was the first person to get married?” Parents everywhere know this strategy well. Sometimes it’s a thoughtful way to encourage critical thinking. Other times, it’s because you genuinely have no idea how to answer the question and need a few extra seconds to buy yourself some time. (Like for “Where do babies come from?”)
That’s one of my favorite things about this age. Their curiosity is endless. They ask questions not because they need all the answers, but because they’re trying to make sense of this big, fascinating world around them. The questions are also a gift to remind us to stay curious too.
