How do I deal with.....

.... a very inquisitive 4 year old?

Heather from Notes from Lapland got me thinking this morning when she wrote about her little one asking what is heaven? I've had the same discussion with Isabelle and she seemed  sort of satisfied with the answer I gave her.

Isabelle spends her life asking questions and I don't mean general run of the mill 4 year old questions, I mean really difficult questions that I'm finding I can't answer, or not at a level a 4 year old would understand. However, I'm finding more and more that if I forget she's 4 and give an answer, she will go along with it, asking relevant questions until she gets an answer that satisfies her.

She does have an above average (for her age) comprehension of things, and google is becoming my best friend. I have to tell her, I don't know, but shall we check on the computer to find out? I dare say, that we've done it so many times now, she could google it for herself and read the answers these days.

My other two kids were curious and inquisitive but nowhere near this level. My hubby is academically very intelligent. I'm intelligent(ish) and I know more than my hubby in a world wide sence. I know a robin from a blue tit and a daffodil from a rose. I can tell her breeds of birds and animals, and species of flowers and plants etc. But I really have no idea what pluto is made of and how many rings saturn has, and why does saturn have ice and rocks floating in the rings, and will they be able to build a rocket that will get through the rings of saturn so that she can go to visit, although she'd have to 'wrap up very warm, because it is so cold there. (saturn is her favourite planet apparently) or which order the planets are from the sun. She has a fascination with the solar system and I know bugger all about it. But it doesn't end there.

The latest question which has been asked repeatedly is where did she come from? Now I know we all get asked this by our kids, but she's still only 4. The fairies brought you didn't work, and neither did I got you off the shelf in Asda, although she did like the thought of being bought from Asda and she asked how I decided to choose her from all the rows of babies.. but she kept asking, how did I get in your tummy? how did I get out again? Why did you put me in your tummy to grow, that was a bit silly. Why did I grow last? (she's a third child). Why did I choose Eve to grow first and not her, she wanted to be born first. Did she like being in my tummy with Eve and Russ all cosy together? it went on.. I answered as jovially as I could, but she was serious. She's 4!! eek. So I explained about seeds growing into babies, to which she laughed and asked did I have to water her and give her some sunshine (awww bless) but then she wanted to know how she got out. And she wouldn't be fobbed off with I went to the hospital and the nurses gave you to me.. she needed to know where from. So I ended up telling her from a special place ... (where?) down here (points) ewwww that's disgusting (well yes actually it was but that's beside the point).. and then she says.. 'can I see where?' Mark runs into his garage at this point (we were in the garden) and dies laughing to himself, I can almost hear him rolling around the floor.. and I'm afraid to say I lied.. I told her it's only there when you're having a baby. Oh, she said, ok. Now I'm worried. One of her teachers is having a baby... what if she goes and asks her to have a look where the baby comes out? Hmmm, I think I better warn her.

I think it's time to get out the How My Body Works book. I'm sure my other two kids were about 7 when they read it, but this little miss inquisitive just can't stop asking questions. And I think I need to go back to school and get better educated to be able to deal with the barrage of questions that I don't know the answers to.