I remember reading my Mom's John Jakes,..now that you mention it! I was older thankfully...at least 10. I called them shiny paperbacks.
As for questions...around age three DS started in with 'why?' Like a parrot. I had the idea that essentially the answer to most questions was either 'custom' or 'nature.' I exxplained those ideas and from then on would respond with one word answer...either custom or nature. I pointed out that people get much more riled up is you question the custom stuff than the nature stuff. I gave more info if my DS requested it, but I tried to wzit and see if he would axk. Then I would always ask him what he thought first so I could use his vocabulary as much as possible. I thought I was tremendously clever.
That was back in the day when I believed in nurture rather than nature for IQ so I promptly sent off my idea to a parenting magazine thinking that I had lucked on a great basic truth. I got a very nice letter back that said 'well bless your heart.'
