Questions from pre-schoolers

[zac's mum]

(Double post)

[zac's mum]

marmalade:

My kids always ask me difficult questions (or maybe it's easy...oh well...)


Anyone experiencing the same ? Perhaps can post here and share.

Where do humans come from? or rather, how did the first human come into existence?

I approach it from 2 perspectives: scientific and non-scientific.
1. scientific - history of homo sapiens, evolution of apes
2. non-scientific - God's creation of adam and eve

I can tell my boy is not at all convinced, but he take it as it is for now.

Anyone explain it differently?

Did u know that curiosity and asking why & how questions is normal for preschoolers? Some people even say it’s a sign of intelligence!

Your son has asked a difficult question indeed. In fact, no one knows the answer. You have given him the 2 theories that humankind has come up with. They are only theories. No wonder he is not convinced haha...

Perhaps you can take it a step further & explain what theories are. And why they are hard to prove. And ask him back...can you think of an alternative theory?

If u want him to exercise his brain, u can also get him to think about other questions which have multiple answers: which do u think came first, the chicken or the egg? Why?

Or “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

Have fun!

[marmalade]

Thks, Zac's mum.


And I was also asked:
How did the earth and other planets come about?

If there is God, why did he create earth and us?

What is a soul?

[ammonite]

My answer to my kids - these are very good questions and they are very big questions. Many people have spent a lot of time trying to answer them and these are some of the ideas/ things they have found out etc etc.

As they get older you can differentiate between scientific findings and philosophical pondering.

[zac's mum]

marmalade:

Thks, Zac's mum.


And I was also asked:
How did the earth and other planets come about?

If there is God, why did he create earth and us?

What is a soul?

Are you a Christian?

I am, so I find answering these easy, according to the Bible. Although I also expose him to alternative explanations.

As before, you can give him both the Christian answer & secular answer (Big Bang Theory). “Soul” explanations are also discussed in Buddism I believe.

Your boy is asking very deep questions indeed.

Expect the next one (which my son asked too): where do humans [and animals, and plants] go after they die? Why must we die?

[marmalade]

zac's mum:

marmalade:

Thks, Zac's mum.


And I was also asked:
How did the earth and other planets come about?

If there is God, why did he create earth and us?

What is a soul?

Are you a Christian?

I am, so I find answering these easy, according to the Bible. Although I also expose him to alternative explanations.

As before, you can give him both the Christian answer & secular answer (Big Bang Theory). “Soul” explanations are also discussed in Buddism I believe.

Your boy is asking very deep questions indeed.

Expect the next one (which my son asked too): where do humans [and animals, and plants] go after they die? Why must we die?

I was a Christian but for a short while - that's another story, haha.
I am now a free-thinker so I tend to include both secular and non-secular explanations for the sake of exposure, logic and different perspectives. They are free to choose what they wish to believe in the future but for now, I am trying to give them various explanation so that they can understand \"the world\" - if you know what i mean.

Yes, they did. My girl actually asked me where do we go when we die? And that's where the soul question comes about. Why must we die? Yes, and they also ask, \"How do we know if we go to heaven or not ? \" :scratchhead: