How to answer this tough question from my 9-year-old

Personally if my son of 9 years asked me that question. I would have to say. Yes life we are only giving a short time of to enjoy. And yes when we are born we start to die. But that's what makes Life precious and that's why it's important to live. Because we were givin this life to create it as we wish. And because we were giving this Life we should do everything in our power to Live it! Not sure if that'll satisfy him. But maybe he won't think of it as in such detail. But than again I'm a deep thinker as well :)

I had a thinker like that too. Those hard questions are difficult to answer. Many times I would have to let my daughter know that I do not have all the answers. That as she learned more about life as she grew she would be able to find answers. Then she can bring the answers to mom to share. So we both learn. That question is hard to answer because there isn't a one answer to find. So many believe in different ways of life. How life is to be lived. I would probably answer like this. "Life is worth living because each life influences/affects others. Those that lived before us brought many things to us, that we have now. Can you imagine what the people living now can create for the future?" Then further the discussion by giving examples of inventions that we use in our life not on a daily basis, etc.

That's an interesting and fun question to hear from a 9-year-old. Seriously, I've thought about this question once when I was young. Well, my take is that, the reason why we live is that we are here to do all the things that we wish to do so that when we die we'll have no regrets. Living and dying is part and parcel of every human beings' lives. Considering his question, I think he's just trying to find a goal, a life's goal that he wants to achieve. Fret not, he's just 9. Slowly, when he grows older, he'll come to realise what life is all about.

i see that he is very intelligent and isnt happy with simple answers ahah i guess that your answer is the best one ahah but maybe you could say that we never know what is when we die so maybe we keep living anyway but in other world a world of happiness where everyone is happy^^ thats what some people think and the truth is that we dont know what happens after we die. we dont know for sure if we get born again or if we be in a sweet warm happy place so answer that that i told you maybe he would be happy with that answer^^

Hello Suzieqmom! Well, I think one of these days, I will get questions as well with my 4-year old daughter but I am thankful for now that she is rationalizing everything. In my opinion, there is no wrong answer to your son's question. You have answered the question correctly, what I mean is that for a child to not be contented with the answer he hears, it only means that we need to ask his opinion as well, it would be interesting to hear what he thinks, don't you agree?

Hello, our life is just like a movie with a known ending. Some of the movies we like most and also everytime we watch, it gives us pleasure even if we know what will happen next.Why? Because the subject of the story is like that. So we should make our life history with some unforgettable experiences, thoughts, enjoyment. Please let your son to watch one movie of this kind and after that tell him do you want to watch again? Then I think He will get his answer.

I don't think 9 is really all that young if he's already having such deep thoughts already. I honestly think you should tell him that finding your purpose in life is everyone's personal responsibility. Finding your own reason to live is up to him to define. Does he want to make a difference in someone's life? Does he want to pursue any special goals or interests? Does he have any religious inclinations? Do your best to make him think for himself, don't just feed him sugared-up, dumbed-down crap.

I think I would probably say "The point of living is to make the world a better place when you leave than when you came into it."

Well that is a very grown up question to ask. He sounds like a pessimist lol. I would tell him that eventually we will all die but the point of living is to have fun while we can. I dont know if I could go into a very deep conversation with a 9 year old about this because I dont know what answers I could give them. I might be able to sit for awhile and think something up but if it was asked to me right on the spot I might have a hard time coming up with something. I think your answer to him was perfectly fine but he just sounds very inquizitive and didnt want that answer. He wanted a better reason then that lol.

I would use comparisons to explain to him that you have to enjoy the bits of life that you have got. For example: Just because you have your least favourite lesson at the end of the day, doesn't mean that you shouldn't enjoy the four lessons you have earlier in the day. Or Just because you have school on Monday, shouldn't mean that you don't enjoy the weekend.

hello suzie! i can't help but compare the question of your son with the one raised by my daughter when she was just 7 years old. She asked me why do people keep on eating when we expel it always in the comfort room? what's the use of eating and drinking if we only release it through our urine and waste. My answer to your question would be the same to what i answered to her. We and drink to nourish our body. Even if we do expel it at the end, it has already went through a lot of processes which benefited our bodies. If we don't eat, we would die. To your question - the point of life is the experiences we make in this world which would enrich our whole being and which would prepare us for the next world. Our life here on earth is just a part of a journey. This is not the end-all of our life, rather, this is the preparation stage for that life prepared for us, an everlasting life. Whatever we feed our minds and bodies while we live here on earth and the actions and reactions to the experiences would all contribute to our whole being. The experiences we make are like food that we feed to our bodies. The lessons we learned and the nuggets of wisdom we gain from such experiences are the minerals and nutrients that we gained from it. Therefore, like the food we eat, it must not only be any food but nutritious food that will nourish our bodies and so are with the experiences we have in life. Life must not just be enjoyed. Life must be fully lived to gain the most out of our existence, out of life.

That's very interesting. Maybe if my son did ask me the same question I would answer... I'm alive and continue to live because I have you! That is the only reason I know. If I die right at this moment would that makes you happy? Yes, of course you continue to live even if I'm gone, but still part of me will still be with you and that part would never disappear. This is why we should do our best and keep living the right way, in this way those who remembered us will do the same thing. Everybody has a purpose...

A plain and simple answer would be to ask him what he wanted to be when he grows up. If he answers like nothing, push back the question to, what if mommy and daddy goes away and you're left alone then you need to be "somebody" who's able to stand on your own to eat, buy and even share what you have. Those are part of the points in living our lives.

Maybe he was just too young to understand. Time will come that he will be able to discover the answer to hi question himself. If I were to answer I will tell him that as long as we are alive we should make the most of it. Life is too short to be wasted perhaps we would have the same answer!!

My answer would have been - God lives in a Spiritual world, where things are thoughts, and are not solid, as they are here on Earth. God is a Spiritual Being who does not experience Physical life as we do,because he is a Spirit. God Created people from little bits of Himself, to live and Experience Physical life on earth, so that He too can Experience Physical life through us, as we live and go about our lives.

Whew! Your son is smart. hehehe. He has a point. hehe. Seriously, If a kid ask that to me, maybe I'll have my jaw dropped. I don't even know the answer too.

Yes even in the bible say, people destined to die once but is not the question. The question is what is the important of living? right. Even you live here on earth 2 days or longer but your life will be worthy to the eyes of God, I think that is the important of living.. Another thing is short or longer live here on earth we must treasure it to do something good and appreciable to others and God... see you around.

the moment we were born, we have a mission. GOD give us life for a reason. as we go along our daily lives we are the one to know the point of living.

wow! what a smart kid. sometimes we find difficult to answer questions especially like your son. but as a mother we should find ways to answer their question in a way that they can understand. maybe he heard someone who was talking about that issue that's why he bring that question you. but if i am to answer that question, i will tell him, God give us time live so that we can see his creation. we can see how wonderful he is. so we must enjoy our life because we are also God's creation. i also don't know if he will be satisfied with this answer..;-)