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Behind every decision we make is a rationale that could help our kids can learn and grow.

My son’s insatiable curiosity can wear me down in a hurry! It’s easy to slip into “because I said so” or simply barking orders at our kids. But their inquisitive natures are one of the healthiest attributes a kid can have!

They need to soak up all of the information and wisdom they can to learn about their world and make excellent decisions. In this neverending quest for knowledge, parents are the best teachers and the best classroom is everyday life.

A few months ago, my son became very concerned by a puzzling shadow of alternating lines on the curtains in his room. “What it is, daddy? What it is?” (I didn’t mix up that order. It’s a quote.)

We walked to the window together and peeled back the curtain to see that wooden lattice above our deck was the cause of his concern. At first, I wanted to get back to my projects since the crisis was over. Then, I realized that this was a good time to teach him about light and shadows.

He spent the next several minutes looking for unique shadows around the house and pointing them out to me. He would run over to a window and pull back the curtain to see what was casting each shadow. It was a great learning experience!

I’ll be honest, I did not feel like interrupting my project to go investigate his concern. But the chance for him to learn something new about his world, and to learn it from me, was well worth the effort. Here’s what I learned that day:

Don’t just appreciate the “why’s,” learn to love them!


We only have a few years to shape and mold our kid’s thinking at such an impressionable age. Look forward to those teachable moments even if they come at inconvenient times.

Behind every decision we make is a rationale that could help our kids can learn and grow - if we are willing to pause and give a thoughtful answer to the “why.”