Childhood misconceptions—those cute little ideas our children come up such as theories that the moon is made of cheese and the clouds are really fluffy marshmallows—when they are tiny, these can be adorable, but at some point, shouldn’t we correct them and give our children the true, accurate explanations? The answer, of course, is yes—we do need to correct those cute misconceptions so our children will both know the truth, and also not be embarrassed if they are corrected by someone else.
It takes some care and tact, as well as a willingness to let go of the “cuteness” and delight in order to provide young children with age-appropriate information and correction. Some children find that since their misconceptions get such a positive reaction from parents and adults—they don’t want to let go of them. If a great fuss of laughter, asking a child to repeat things for visitors and grandparents, and other such reactions give a child a lot of positive attention, why on earth would he WANT to give up his misconceptions? If a parent can share facts and information gently, without encouraging the misconception or creating a power struggle, the child should be able to adjust easily to the truth.
As a parent, you can still write down or record those cute little sayings, theories, and misconceptions for posterity. But, there is a big difference between a 3 year-old who things babies come from the “cabbage patch” and a seven year-old who is still clinging to the same belief. Plus, if you count on your child to have her misconceptions and cute little theories corrected in school or by the outside world, you are setting up a situation where a child may come to mistrust you (for letting them hang on to the wrong information), or setting your child up for humiliation and embarrassment in a more public setting.
See Also: Promoting and Encouraging Curiosity
Dealing With Your Own Feelings First