Fostering curiosity in kids (and their parents) since 2011

Posts by Shala Howell

“Why do pale people get more moles?” (Caterpickles consults the dermatologist)

The first time I went in for my now-annual skin check, the dermatologist found three moles that looked funny. So I had them taken off. My four-year-old was fascinated by this entire process, asking me countless questions about why people should have their skin checked, what the doctor is looking for, the difference between freckles and moles, and of course, whether it’s true pale people get more moles (not necessarily).

A selection of wishbones from various dinosaurs

“How long will it take for my wishbone to fossilize?”

A week or two ago there was a heated scene in our kitchen between my daughter and her father regarding the future of a rather extraordinary (in my daughter’s opinion) wishbone extracted from a rather ordinary (in her father’s opinion) rotisserie chicken. My daughter wanted to add the wishbone to her collection. My husband objected. “Bones have no place in this house. Unless they are fossils.” Wait for it… “Daddyo, how long will it take for my wishbone to fossilize?”

“Can it rain cats and dogs, Mommyo?”

The Four-Year-Old, on the afternoon of the third of three very rainy days: “Can it rain cats and dogs, Mommyo?”

Mother, tired after fielding an unusually active bout of questioning and trying out a new strategy of tossing one of those questions back at the preschooler: “I don’t know, can it?”

The Four-Year-Old: “No, that’s silly. I just wanted to test you.”

Book Review: When I Feel Angry

When I Feel Angry is part of a series of books written by child psychologist Cornelia Maude Spelmen to help children identify and understand their emotions. We have others in the series, including When I Miss You, When I Feel Scared, and When I Care About Others, but the book about anger is the one I turn to most often.