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Should Your Child Be Asking You Questions Instead of Alexa/Siri?

We all have some sort of technology in our house, from a coffee maker to a TV. Now we can invest in technology that talks back to us and can answer questions. This means our kids have access too. Kids asking technology questions is not terrible but it can lead down a dangerous path. It reminds me of the time I walked in on my 5-year-old asking Alexa about a certain word I used when I broke a glass on the kitchen floor. Slips happen but here are some reasons why we need to be careful what we say when little ears are around. Kids are seeking truth. If you aren’t supplying it while allowing them to ask questions, pop culture would love to fill in the blanks. Should your child be asking you questions instead of Alexa/Siri? Absolutely! So before technology gets ahead of you, think about setting the ground rules.

Here are ideas on encouraging your kids to ask you questions and not relying on peers or technology for answers:

Encourage Questions

Regardless how scary the questions are coming from our babies (hello..! sex talks!), we would rather they ask us than their friends or Google. Discussing tough topics helps our kids have a foundation to fall back on when truth becomes skewed. Having an open line of communication means they are more likely to address these distortions with you than to believe their peers.

There Are No Stupid Questions

Ignorance only becomes detrimental when we refuse to pursue knowledge. When our kids ask us a question we don’t know the answer to, pursue the answer together, exploring truth and modeling curiosity. This way we are teaching them to enjoy learning and being comfortable with not knowing all the answers.

Setting a positive example of seeking answers will not only help them academically, but will also give them the confidence to normalize other areas of struggle; like not being good at sports, or not having a math brain. The more we embrace our weaknesses with our strengths, the more confident and healthy we will become.

Be Respectfully Skeptical

Somehow, we have come to believe that if someone has a platform, (teachers, celebrities, pastors, politicians, sometimes even parents), it must mean they have or know something we don’t. Teaching our kids to continue to ask questions regardless of the ‘who’ behind the opinion, ensures that their belief system will be a solid foundation and not sinking sand.

Encouraging kids to be curious, exploratory, and to be bold by asking questions is a healthy life skill. However, teaching them where to find truth is just as or even more important. As the parent point them to truth and they will not stray from it.

What questions do you hope your children will ask you about instead of asking technology?

Paige Clingenpeel is a licensed teen therapist and has worked on TV, radio, and web-based media. Her passion is creating health, hope, and humor for youth and their families.

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