Power 101

Sydney can be very inquisitive. She usually saves up her best questions for bed time, a classic stalling technique.

This can be tough because we want to feed her desire to learn but it can take a really long time depending on how many follow up questions she can come up with.

Last night she asked me why power lines had to come up to your house. I told her that was how the power travels from the power plants to the house. We then use that power to turn on all of those things we have plugged in (lights, ovens, vacuums, etc.).

Sydney: How do the power plants make the power?
Mom: They can do it different ways. The workers can take things like coal from underground, burn it, and use the steam to generate power. They can use nuclear power…

Sydney: How does nuclear power work?
Mom [How do I explain nuclear power to a 6 year old?]: They use nuclear fission which is when you break apart atoms and a lot of energy comes out…

Sydney: “They break apart Adams?!!”

Mom: “Not people!”

Sydney starts laughing hysterically. We had to stop the conversation so her laughing wouldn’t wake up her brother down the hall. I really hope that she doesn’t talk to any kids named Adam at school today or she is going to scare the stuffings out of him.