I read with amazement some weeks ago how an 8-year-old girl had named with the utmost breeze the capital city and currency for all 195 countries in the world. What a feat! And when asked how her father had gotten her to master the various city capitals and currencies, his response was, “we fed her curiosity”.

Children are and will always be curious, and one thing I learned from that interview was to make every moment count with our children in a fun way. What had started on the school run a few years earlier as a simple but intentional conversation between a father and her three-year-old daughter had brought this young girl to the limelight. Still, the most important thing is that the little girl was equally willing to engage in an age where one in 3 toddlers has an iPad or its equivalent to keep them amused all day long.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having our kids entertained on their various devices for a limited time, but there’s also a time to engage them one-on-one, particularly when they become inquisitive.

I remember taking my then three-year-old daughter out one afternoon and asking her, as I often did, what her name was. Her answer that day as we strolled along was- “I don’t want to play this game anymore”. Needless to say,  I never asked her that question again. Now, we laugh over it, but one thing that struck me when I brought up that incident with her many years later was that even at that tender age, she was perfectly aware that I was only making conversation. What if I had made those walks more engaging? I’m sure she would have learnt a thing or two.

Children have more capacity to learn at a very young age than we often realize, which is why their formative years are crucial.

Trying to engage your kids on the school run might not work for everyone, particularly when running late, but it’s equally important to engage your kids as much as possible, considering that they grow so quickly. So, please discuss with your kids intelligently and give them answers to life’s questions before the world gives them a corrupted version of events.

I know the last thing most parents want to do after a hard day’s work is to be “interrogated” by their kids, but we need to engage with our children as much as we possibly can. What if the father in this story hadn’t continued to feed his daughter’s curiosity? She would undoubtedly find other ways to entertain herself, but this girl’s gift may have never been discovered.

Every child has a gift, and our duty as parents is to help our children discover what God has put in them. And that’s why it’s always good to inquire from God what our children have been called to do so we can guide them accordingly.

So, find out what inspires your children; take note of what makes them wide-eyed when you take them out. Don’t be too quick to dismiss or shut down their curious minds.

Remember, life is what we make of it, so let’s enjoy the ride before we get to our final destination: make every moment count on your journey to greatness.