How to raise an inquisitive child

Curiosity is what inspires young people to learn new things; it’s a crucial part of their development process. Parents should try and nurture this inquisitiveness within their children to help them perform well in school and generally throughout life. Some children are instinctively more curious than others, but there are many things you can do to help encourage your child if they need a little push. I have teamed up with an independent school in Surrey to provide you with the following advice. 

But how do you raise an inquisitive child?

One great way to promote inquisitiveness within your home is to mix up your routine every once in a while, so that your youngster is able to experience new things. Simple changes here and there can really go a long way in stimulating your child’s mind and making them think about things in a different light. You don’t have to travel the world to make this happen; a minor change like trying a new recipe for dinner or driving to your nearest seaside town will remind your child that the world is much bigger than their little bubble and there is still much to learn. If your child becomes too familiar with their structured routine, they will cease to wonder about the rest of the world.

Encourage your child to ask lots of questions by showing them it’s perfectly normal to be curious. If you’re driving somewhere, you could say to your child “I wonder who invented the car engine, do you know?” and ask them to help you research the answer. If it starts to rain, you can ask them “Where does rain come from?”. Essentially, the trick is to get them to think outside the box and consider the world on a deeper level, while also showing them that there’s nothing wrong with asking questions. 

When they do come to you with questions of their own, always be prepared to answer them, even if you’re busy or unsure of the answer. If you turn them away they might be reluctant to ask you more questions again in the future. Don’t make something up if you don’t know how to answer their questions; instead, take them time to do some research with them and figure it out together. 

Thanks for reading xxx