Get Real

My two youngest children were ages 2 & 3 at the time, and my mother was driving them to my hometown for a weekend visit.  The sun was beginning to set and my mother made a comment about how the sun was "going to bed".  My son, who was 3, promptly replied with a correction to her statement, "The sun isn't going to bed Gigi, it is going to give light to the other side of the Earth".  When our children are curious about things, we pretty much give them the straight truth, especially if it's something that will help their understanding later on.  Why not start teaching it when they first ask?  They wouldn't be asking if they didn't want a real answer.  So when they want to know something as simple as why the grass doesn't blow away, go ahead and tell them about the roots instead of making something up.  They'll find wonder and amazement in this new discovery and they will definitely make a connection they can build upon later.  But don't worry, you will still find plenty of imagination in our home.  We all still believe in Santa Clause, we make wishes on falling stars, and I know that if we could only find some pixie dust, our happy thoughts would make us fly!