Why do mints melt?

My son is a bright spark. When he was 15 months old my hubby came home from work and asked "Why is our son running around the house shouting rotivator!" But this can have its draw backs. Firstly from a young age we couldn't tell a little white lie and get him into bed early because he knew the real time. Secondly he remembers everything. If my mum moves a vase to a different window sill or moves a plant pot he notices it. Which is very handy when you are trying to rebuild a room before your sister returns but not so handy when he remembers a knickknack he made has been disappeared or conversations from 2 years ago and can even tell you where you were sat and what you wearing!

But one thing I had not really bargained for was his questions. I know all children ask all sorts of odd, bizarre and impossible to answer questions at some time or another, but my son at 8 still asks at least one a day, and one of the reasons I am rapidly going off of this is because it makes me feel a bit thick. Yes I did well at school but science, history and geography info has been filed far back in the recesses of my mind to make way for relevant info that as you can imagine doesn't include why is metal cold and what is the distance to Saturn. Thankfully half of the time we are at home so thanks to my best friend Google I can find out the exact temperature of the sun, or how many stars there are. (The answer to those two in case your interested is very hot and a lot!)

But when we are on the way to school I don't have google to hand (curse the lack of a Blackberry - I am not allowed one, my hubby says I am a workaholic as it is. He's argument is that when we first got married he threw my Filofax down the stairs at 2 o'clock in the morning because I had remembered a job and wanted to write it down. Yes I know very unreasonable and thus he dreads the thought of what would be unleashed on society if I was permanently attached to the world. My answers would for ever more be "mmmmm" "yes dear" and"that sounds great") so with no Blackberry and no Google I have to think fast.

However when you are mentally checking that you shut the dining room door because the cake is in there and you don't want the dog to eat it (again), you have picked up Sophie's ballet bag, you have remembered the sat nav AND the address of your client and did I pay for the school trip? there is not a great deal of room for "Why do mints melt?" Right now I am trying to recreate the look that must come on my face when one of these questions comes at me like a party popper in the face. It must be a cross between "Ow I hurt myself" and "my brain has been removed, who am I?"

But this did get me thinking because I wonder if he is a coach in the making. His ability to ask questions that really get you thinking about a subject that has been staring you in the face is amazing. Another example of his coaching skills that made me so proud. We have a new game for the Wii and my daughter is as adept at it as her Mum, and she was shouting "grrrr I am rubbish at this - I can't do it!" To which my son replied " If you believe you can do it - you will. Come on Soph I think you can do it, let's look at what's happening." How cool is that? Motivation and support from your 8 year old brother.

Because that's what coaching is about. Its about asking the right questions and supporting you to find them, create them and achieve them. And in all honesty if everyone in their lives learnt to ask not just the right questions but in the right way, it could be surprising how you start to see different results.

"Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers." Robert Half . You said it Robert.