- Hold that thought! Realize that not all things are easily explained. You may have to revert to other resources to help you answer the answer. If you can’t answer the question right off, let your child know that you will get back to them as soon as you find the resources to help explain it better.
- Study up. There are questions that you can expect to be asked sooner or later so go ahead and start preparing for them. A few examples are “Where do babies come from?” and “Why do people have colored skin?” Take the opportunity to prepare your answer so that you are ready when the time arises.
- Go ask your dad. There may be some questions that are better answered by your spouse. Don’t feel obligated to answer every single question that your children have. Let dad join in on the fun and take responsibility for answering particularly tough questions too. Perhaps it could be a rule that boys talk with dad and girls talk with mom. Whatever works with your family is what you should try.
- Don’t try to sound smart. When explaining something to your child, you don’t have to be an expert. Simply answer the question in the easiest way possible. Your child is more likely to understand this rather than a scientific answer from a book. Keep it simple.
- Google it! While you don’t want your children turning to the internet to find answers to questions, this doesn’t mean you can’t. If you can’t figure out how to explain it, go ahead and do a search on Google or some other website.
- Ask a friend. It is important that you realize that you are not alone. Seek advice from a friend on how he or she explained the hard questions. Having other parents to lean on if tough situation like this will make life so much easier.
- The Good Book. Many challenging questions can be answered using the greatest book of wisdom of all time – The Bible. Make this your go to book to seek and discover answers to the questions that your kids may have for you.
- Consider the age of your child. While there is no set age for learning about thing such as sex, the effects of alcohol, etc., sometimes your child may just be too young to understand the answer. It may not be wise to talk to your 3 year old about “Where babies come from.” Wait until she is a little older to explain it.
- Get help from professionals. If you have a particularly curious child, it may be helpful to seek guidance from a professional. Perhaps a teacher or counselor can help take some of the stress off of you by answering a few of those hard questions.
- Don’t push it. Try to get away with telling your child as little about the topic as you possibly can. If he or she pushes for more information, then you will know he is ready to actually learn about the topic. Again, don’t push topics that he is not really to learn about.
Listed above are 10 tips that can help you deal with difficult questions. Kids are curious! You are bound to have to answer a question in the near future. Will you be prepared when the times comes. Use the 10 tips listed above in combination with each other so you know exactly what to do when you are put on the spot. Go ahead and prepare yourself mentally for the challenge that will arise as your children become older. You WILL answer questions. What will you say?
Marina writes for 1001 Artificial Plants an online destination for contemporary artificial flowers, green topiaries and floral arrangements.