Teaching moments

We've had some fantastic teaching moments around here lately. Colin has a highly developed sense of curiosity and questioning, which I have always encouraged. Many people say they dread the "why" stage of childhood, when children ask an endless amount of questions, each one leading to another "why?" This phase never irked me, most likely because Colin's questions are logical, well thought out, and ones to which he is genuinely interested in discover the answering. Here are a couple of the memorable moments from the last month.

***

Colin: How do you make glass?
Daddy: Well, you take sand, and you heat it up and spin it around really fast and it makes glass.
Colin: How do you heat it?
Daddy: In a machine.
Colin: So, if I put sand in the popcorn machine, would it make glass?

***

(while waiting for the bus, with Caleb)

Colin: What does "disperse" mean?
Mommy: It means when things that are all in one place get scattered far apart.
Colin: How?
Mommy: Well, I'll show you. You boys come and stand right next to me here, right close. Okay. Right now we are all together. Now, when I say "disperse," Colin you run down that sidewalk, and Caleb you run down the other sidewalk, and I will run down this sidewalk. Ready, disperse!

(everyone runs away)

Mommy: Now come back together!

(everyone run back together)

Colin: I get it! Ready, disperse! Everyone run away!

(everyone runs away)

Colin: Now, Caleb, you say "back together."
Caleb: Back together!

(Everyone runs back together. The game continues for the next 5 minutes until the bus comes. People in cars driving by think we are crazy.)

***

(at breakfast)

Colin: What does "appropriate" mean?
Mommy: If something is appropriate, it means it is a good thing to do, at a good time. If it is not appropriate, it means it is not a good thing or a good time to do it. So running outside is appropriate, but running in church is not appropriate.
Colin: What else is appropriate?
Mommy: Well, you tell me. Playing with your friends at recess?
Colin: Appropriate.
Mommy: Playing with your friends while your teacher is talking?
Colin: Not appropriate.

(And so continues the game until breakfast is over. I must have come up with two dozen example of appropriate and inappropriate activities!)