Well, it seems our little ones, when asked, can answer such goofy questions as:• what programs do you like to watch on TV?• what kind of candy is your favorite?• what costume did you wear on Halloween?• do you like school?and so on ...But it seems to me, that there are three very basic questions that our children should be able to answer from the age of 3 on.1. Who's in charge? Of course, they should be able to answer that generally Mommy + Daddy are in charge, but when in school the teacher is in charge for Mommy + Daddy.2. What is patience?They should be able to respond that patience is when you are calm and waiting.3. What is being mature?Our little ones should be able to answer that being mature means knowing what to do, when to do it and with whom to do it.For good measure we could add a fourth question that our children should be able to answer by the age of 5: 4. How do you choose a friend?They should have a starting point answer so that they have a basis for being friends with other children---qualitiesyou would like them to look for in others. My little one is aware that it's helpful to be friends with other children who are kind, caring and calm.Now, remember these are answers for our little ones. As they grow and develop, they may see the relevance of those responses.Now, check in with your little ones. If they can answer these questions and they are between 3-5 y.o., then they may be on a solid path, but if they don't have a clue what you're talking about, you may wish to consider helping them with these questions so that they have a sense of what it means to be appropriate.all content The New Parent © 2008