Note: This published article was written for adults in 2006, and is intended to explain some of the principles that underlie the writing of my book. It is not contained in the manuscript for "When Parents Aren't Around". "Why": the dreaded single syllable word that a child can use repeatedly to raise an adult's temperature and stretch his comfortable and established philosophies of logic, reason and beliefs to breaking point. I have seen many an adult reduced to a blubbering mess or a ranting dictator, as he tries to explain and justify his answers, while a six year old sits calmly with only the smallest traces of a mischievous grin on his face asking again and again "Why?" The innocence and naivety of a child's questioning is the perfect foil for an adult, who has a natural instinctive responsibility to educate youngsters. However, the irritation goes further, as this insistent inquiring, that will not be abated clichéd answers tried and tested on other adults, often leads the interviewee to question their own inner core. "Why" is tough because it addresses the non-tangible area of intention. "Why" cuts through accepted so-called "truths" and gets right to the fundamentals of your answer. Therefore seeing as "Why" is perhaps one of the most powerful weapons a child can use in a debate with an elder, it seems appropriate that we discuss the "whys" of teaching children honest and realistic self-protection before we approach the "whats" and "hows".
