Why?

When my grandson was 2 or 3, he went through the "why?" phase. I know some people don't enjoy that stage of child development; the relentless, repetitive questioning of everything in existence, but I do.

I usually respond truthfully and simply, based on the subject matter and audience. Although he was very young, if the correct answer was "It's physics." that's what I said. Even small children deserve the truth about the world. Sometimes, I'd say "Why not?" to which he would reply "Right. Why not?" Teaching flexibility in thought is always appropriate. But there is a mischievous side to me that was often tempted to give bizarre answers to his questions, simply for the pleasure of watching him eventually figure out the truth. Or not. Those flat-earthers learned that belief somewhere..

I offer you alternative answers to common questions:

• Why is the sky blue?

Alt answer: Well, visible light is on a spectrum. When my grandma was little, the sky was yellow, and when I was born it was green. When your mom and dad were born, it had turned blue, and has been that way for a while. I guess the next phase will be purple, before it turns red, but that's a long way off.

• What do monkeys eat?

Alt answer: If they are in zoos, they are fed fruit and vegetables. Everybody assumes they like bananas. However, in the wild they enjoy making casseroles and will use whatever meat is on hand. Italian monkeys are very good at lasagna, but I don't know where they get the cheese.

• Where does water come from?

Alt answer: The Nestle company makes it in big factories all around the world. Then they use big pumps and tanks to make rivers, lakes and streams so the fish can spawn. Isn't that great?

• What is the moon made of?

Alt answer: What a great question! Originally, the moon was part of the world. Unfortunately, the folks that lived on that part of earth were not very nice. They fought with people, told lies, made a big mess and were just general nuisances. Finally, the rest of the world decided that it would be better if they left. So, the space station towed that section into space. It isn't that far away, so they can be supervised, but it seemed like the best solution at the time.

I hope you enjoy these responses and find them useful. Please let me know if you require further assistance.