What on earth am I suposed to say to that? Specifically, a story she likes features an elephant going off on her own, to have a good long think. My daughter wants to know what the elephant is doing. Leaving aside the obvious comedy investment potential of telling her it means the same as “pooping”, how best do I describe ‘thinking’ to her, given that several people are unable to agree on the same question at a stupidly intense level on GQ?
I’ve tried telling her that when she’s working out what kind of biscuit to have, that’s thinking. I also tried saying that when she’s figuring out how many biscuits there are, that’s thinking - but it’s also counting, so I’m not sure if she got it. In fact it’ll be hard to tell whether she’s got it whatever I tell her, until she uses the word herself later, so I want to make sure I give her the right idea. She is remarkably forward with her language so it’s fascinating to watch the little logical derailments that happen whenever she gets meanings confused.
A small percentage of people think in pictures. I think in pictures. I’ve tried to get other people to describe how their thought processes work. I’ve never gotten a satisfying answer.
Good luck explaining it to your daughter. And a warning. My son asked questions like that when he was that age. By 6 he could beat his dad at chess. By 10 he had read my entire library and was well on his way through the local public library. At 13 his IQ fell off the chart for that test they used.
Its amazing and disheartening when you realize your child that can’t yet reach the cookie jar is smarter than you!
Just start running now, so you’ll be able to keep up later.
When I was a kid I used to get frustrated when peeple said “think!” to me, I’d be thinking “I don’t know how to think. what is thinking?” I used to think there was something wrong with me because everyone else knew stuff and didn’t get into trouble because they could think, but I couldn’t think.
I’d say to your daughter it’s just talking to yourself in your head, or remembering something, or working something out. If you are working out what 4 + 6 is you are thinking. thinking is just your brain working.
If my child asked me that, the answer would be simply, “it’s what you do when you’re not talking. You should try it sometime.”
Of course, if my father had a chance to describe ‘a good long think,’ he would reply “that’s what I do in the bathroom every morning. That’s why I leave the fan on afterwards.”
And then I would have to say, “‘think,’ Dad. ‘THINK.’ Not ‘Stink.’”