???

I always thought the pesky questions stage would stop after preschool.  But... it gets worse when your kid hits primary borderline middle school.  All the questions you dread come in by the overwhelming bushelfuls!

Last month, my son asked if every family has to go through divorce at one point.
Last week, he asked if watching Powerpuff Girls would really make a boy gay.
The other day, he asked how a child can turn into a drug addict.
Last night, it was why it was ok to hug a girl when he was a little boy and disallowed now that he's 10 years old.

These are things he's picked up in school and my job is to get him to see different sides of the issue.  Not to ram some kind of imposed conclusion in his head.  I raise my kids to be open and opinionated.  I want them to be able to ask me questions without shame and discuss their personal take on a delicate or controversial concern without fear of being judged.
I'll also need to help him sift through the factual and the fictional --without making him panic himself into adulthood.  Talks in the school cafeteria and playground tend to blow up in proportion.  No, you don't get cooties when you accidentally brush against a girl in homeroom class.  But yes, you cannot go about hugging her like you used to because personal space is important to some people as they grow older.  It takes a good balancing act.  I have to be truthful but age-appropriate at the same time.

I'll also need a good supply of Valium.

If I ever thought changing diapers while preparing formula was the toughest part of parenting, I was most absolutely wrong!
I'm suddenly missing the "Why is the sky blue?" and the "Why do elephants have big ears?" questions.