My son is extremely inquisitive.

“Mommy, can I ask a question?”

He began asking this question when very young, and continues to do so even now, at 10 years old.

Several times a day.

While his question has been upgraded to the statement, “Mommy, I have a question”, the intention is still the same. This kid has an insatiable thirst for information.

Early on, my standard response to this question became, “Always.” I answer the same every time, regardless of question or statement.

However, there are times when I can not answer him immediately, either because I am in the middle of something, I simply do not know the answer, or the answer is going to require a longer conversation than the time we have.

For example, questions such as, “What is truth?” and “Was Thomas from Downton Abbey taking drugs to help him stop being so mean?” were definitely tabled for a later discussion when we could devote more time in solid conversation.

See, we’re not talking questions like, “Can I have another bowl of ice cream?”

I love that my son asks questions. Lately, though, his questions reveal that his little brain is catching up with me. For often I can’t seem to answer his philosophical questions when they arise. While my response remains, “Always,” I usually have to add, “Hmm, I don’t know. I’ll need to look that up.”

I want my kids to be life-long learners, so asking questions is a must. But I’m torn.

I remember a time when my kids would ask me questions to which I knew every answer. As they grow, simple answers no longer do the trick. Depth is desired. Although sometimes, depth is not warranted or appropriate – not just yet. And for those questions, I answer, “I’d be glad to discuss this when you are a tad bit older.”

During our brief home-school stint, I had my son keep a question notebook. This allowed us to stay on track with schoolwork and gave me a head’s up as to what I’d need to google in order to provide a correct answer.

Maybe I need to implement that system once again!

Do you find yourself getting stumped by the questions your children ask they get older?