Asking questions and answering questions is imperative for cultivating curiosity, but sometimes we need to go a bit further. Sometimes we need to stop, drop, and roll with discovery.
This starts with me. This starts with you. We must make the deliberate decision to allow our children to make discoveries on their own.
I love avocados. Not that you care. But I do. I was harvesting the fruit from one a few weeks ago when Simon piped up, "Mom, what happens if we plant that big thing?"
And right there. In that second. I had a choice.
Choice #1: Squash Discovery and Wonder
I could explain that it's a seed, toss the pit in the trash, start conquering the housework, and send him out to play.
Choice #2: Foster Discovery and Wonder
I could ask questions leading to more wonder and leading to Simon discovering the answer for himself: What do you think it is? Would you like to plant it and find out what happens?
I did ask Simon those questions that day. I got a big nod. A big smile. It was a big plan for a little kid.
Do you think I genuinely wanted to plant an avocado seed? Part of me did. But most of me wanted to dump it in the compost heap and be done with it. I easily could have spouted out the answer to my son's question: It makes a tree. They don't grow in our cold climate. Would you like some guacamole?
But sometimes answering the question isn't enough. We have to be willing to drop what we're doing; grab moments like this; and say hey, I could really cultivate some curiosity right now. And then do it even when it's a little bit harder or a little bit messier. Let them investigate, wonder, and discover.
Because discovery leads to more curiosity.
I know that great, interesting, and valuable discoveries can be made and will be made . . . and I am awaiting them, full of curiosity and enthusiam. -Linus Pauling
Now THIS I could definitely do more of. Guilty! I think we probably could grow them here but they take so long to make avocados, I’d say why bother? I have managed to grab the opportunity on occasion. We did sprout an avocado seed once. Until we forgot to water it. And I let the boy plant and water some apple seeds in a flower pot outside (that sprouted!) that survived until the cat curled up in the flower pot and squished and killed the seedling. =( But you know what? He still remembers planting his apple seeds! He wants to do it again. Maybe we should. =)