Kaylynn Painter

Does God Exist?

Do We have Free Will?

Kaylynn Painter colored our first two questions. She is responsible for getting this project off the ground. Kaylynn is our youngest philosopher artist. She is a spirited and thoughtful, 5-year-old kindergartener at Riverside Elementary School. Her teachers are Mrs. Duley and Mrs. Hagedorn.

Kaylynn loves school and both of her teachers. Her favorite subject is math. A couple of days of the week, Kaylynn attends Kaleidoscope, an after school program. She especially enjoys playing indoor games, such as Steal the Bacon, with her Kaleidoscope teacher, Ms. April. Kaylynn’s hobbies include swimming, drawing, coloring, and dancing (ballet). One of Kaylynn’s favorite toys is Polly Pockets. She likes to eat Chinese food and her favorite colors are pink and silver.

Kaylynn says she wants to be a nurse when she grows up, “so I can take care of my little brother, Parker. “ Parker has had a major heart surgery, and Kaylynn is a very protective and nurturing big sister to him.

I asked Kaylynn about who she is, and what makes her special. Kaylynn is well liked at school, because she is nice to everybody, not only her best friends. She describes herself as serious and active. She likes to be the leader. I asked her what makes someone a good leader, and she said “a good leader makes good rules.”

Kaylynn was our first artist. It was only after she colored our first two questions, that I had the idea to blend this project with my interest in philosophy for children. Kaylynn’s questions were not the best ones for a 5 year old, and if I had intended to interview her on her questions, I would have given her age-appropriate philosophical questions. Honestly, the free will question went over like a lead balloon, so I did not pursue that one with her. Kaylynn had a very interesting answer to the God question. At first, she looked at me like I had six heads when I asked her if God exists. She did not say it, but her face gave away a “DUHHHHHHH!” Nevertheless, I pressed on with determination. “Why do you think God is real?” I asked. “Well, somebody has to take care of all the dead people. And, somebody has to take care of everyone in the world.” God, according to Kaylynn, takes care of everyone, good, bad, and even mean people. “God loves us all.”