It's that time of life when Lily has begun the eternal (and infernal) question, "Why?" It's enough to drive this parent to duck taping said child's mouth at times. Truly, some of her "whys" seem almost reflexive because at times she asks it when the reason for me telling her to do something is so obvious you'd have to be dead not to know "why." And did I mention that I've answered that same "why" at least twenty million times before. (Yes, that many times. And, no, this is not hyperbole. Grin)
I will give you an example.
It's relatively nice out, but there's still a nip in the air, so I tell her: "Please bring a coat with you."
Lily: "Why?"
Me: "Well, it's a bit chilly out, and you might want it. You don't have to wear it at all, but it's best to be safe."
Lily sticks her arm out the door for three seconds and shrugs. "It's not cold to me. I don't need a coat."
Me: O.o "I didn't ask you if you needed one. I told you to bring one, just in case."
Lily: "Oh. Okay, but I'm not wearing it."
Me: "Fine."
Less than fifteen minutes later, she's wearing the jacket and complaining that it's too cold.
Then there are the other "why" questions that are great, but challenging to answer. Like the one she asked the other night while showering.
Lily: Mommy, why don't lightning and water mix?
Me (trying to figure out how to explain this to her): Well, water is a great conductor of electricity.
She blinks.
Me: Do you know what conductor means?
Lily: Like a train conductor?
Me (You have to love the English language.): No.
And I proceed to try to explain what "to conduct" means in this context and why you don't want to be in a swimming pool during a thunderstorm. Yes, those "why" questions are fun, but, in their own right, they can drive a person batty too.
Of course, there are the awkward "why" questions like: "Why can't I take a shower with Daddy, but I can with you?" That one I usually refer to him. (grin) Or "Why do boys have an outie and girls have an innie?" (Note to self: pick up a good sex ed book from the library. Grin)
So, now, I am bogged down with "why." Seriously? Why me? (grin)
17 comments:
My biggest "why" time with Wee Man is when we watch TV together. Holy crap the amount of questions he can throw at me and then remember every li'l thing I said!
An advertisement for the movie Outlander on SyFy comes with, "What's an outlander, Mommy?"
Followed by wanting to know what a revers mortgage is--I'm not kidding!--to whether or not I think Bigfoot is a primate or something different (and for the record he does not believe it's a primate, lol).
Now he's doing my head in with more questions about the States. Hmmm...wonder why? LMAO!
If I don't know the answer I just make the most random stuff up...and yes, they do realise I an joking.
We do have some great discussions though, often the 'why?' being about people's behaviour.
Well, Faith, he craves information. Lily and I were walking back to our car from a musical today. We crossed the street, and she pushed the crosswalk button to go across again. I told her we didn't need to cross because we were going to straight. She looks at me and says, "Why?" Really? We just walked up that street where I parked the car. Why else would we walk straight down the sidewalk? (g)
Robyn, sometimes I do make up things. When I do, I make it as outlandish as possible or she will believe me. (She's still at that age. g)
We're all horrible about jaywalking here. The towns are so small no one pays attention. I took Poison Ivy to get her belly button pierced and we crossed the street directly to the blazer. I mentioned we were jaywalking and that in big cities a person would get their a** fined. She said she found that out in Washington D.C. She just got back from a 30-day trip there and saw a few tourists get nailed for jaywalking.
As for Wee Man, he'd just push the crosswalk button over and over to see if it would blow up, LMAO!
Well...she's a princess, and needs her minions to do her minor thinking for her! :)
Whoops, typo! That should read 3-days not 30.
Gah, too much gardening and yard work this week. I think my brain melted.
Faith, Wee Man and Lily must be related. (g) Yup, you don't jaywalk here unless you want a hefty fine. Even when you think no cops are around, they are. O.O
HAHAHAHAHA, Kate. I'm sure that's what she's thinking. (g)
Here's something to get her thinking. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity; it's the minerals in the water that make it conductive. Then again, maybe not.
I learn something new every day, David. Thank you! I'll have to look this up.
I don't know if this qualifies as a why moment, but here goes.
When my son, who turned 31 last month, was a little guy, he used to like to come on errands with me. So, one day he tagged along to Walgreen's.
I picked up a few items and we proceeded to the checkout counter.
Now, I am totally convinced God used to love to play practical jokes on me when it came to my kids.
So, as luck would have it, a very large gentleman stood in line in front of us in line. I'm sure he tipped the scales at about 400 lbs.
When we got settled in line I happened to look down at my son and there he stood in that tilted head,unblinking stare. You know, the look where you can hear the wheels grinding and feel the vibrations.
So, I say to myself, "Lord, please don't do this to me again." Too Late!
Now, my son only used his whisper voice when he and his sister were plotting something to antagonize me.
So I hear, "Hey Dad" in a voice loud enough to be heard in the storeroom.
And before I could bind and gag him,he pointed and asked, "How does that guy sit on the toilet?"
I broke out in a cold sweat and snickers and chuckles broke out in the line behind me as if to say,"Better you than me,pal."
I quickly hushed my son and said we'd talk about it in the car.
I apologized to the gentleman in front of us,but, I gotta give him kudos because he carried on like nothing happened.
And that was my nightmare why moment.
ROFLMAO!!!
I have a darling and charming 3yr (almost 4) if you use to follow me on FB you saw my updates about her.. I dont Just get why's she will sit you down and want to know everything about everything... Right now i am trying to teach her to put her shoes on the right feet.. she will ask
"is this right"?
yes dear
puts the shoe on and grabs the other shoe
"is this right"? (its the other shoe... she has one on there is no other place for it to go!)
Or where does it come from.. the look on her face when i told her that she and her brother and 2 sisters came from my belly..
Why did you eat them? Then how did they get there came out of her mouth... i take stock on knowing i am raising a bright kid who will be the death of me lol
You are right, Pixie. I am glad Lily is inquisitive and smart. I just hope I make it through her childhood with my sanity in tact. (g)
Marci
Me: Beth, pick up the game you were playing.
Three year old daughter Beth: No.
Me: Pick it up or you have to go to your room.
Beth: Bye (heading for the stairs).
Me: Where are you going?
Beth: My room.
Me (sensing defeat): Get back here.
Beth: The options were...."
No wonder Beth is on track to graduate from law school next year.
Aren't kids fun?
I raised a daughter had my fill of why questions too. I usually took a deep breath and tried to patiently explain why.
Don't worry "the why question" period doesn't last that long, it just feels that way.
Janice~
My now 29+ year-old niece gave me a memorable moment when she was four and I was 19. We went swimming, and I took her to the bathroom. I sat her on the sink to wash her hands, and she places her hands on my boobs, and asks in the clear, piping voice only a four-year-old can manage: "What are these fat things?" Did I mention the bathroom was crowded?
Instead of "Why?" her three-year-old son (my, how time flies!) used to drive me nuts with "How do you know?" After about a week of this, I decided to tell him all about the different ways of knowing things: because someone trustworthy told you; because you learned it from direct experience; etc. From then on, when he would ask "How do you know?" I'd refer him to our earlier discussion.
By the way, just today, I read a great story about a Nobel-prize winning scientist, you credited his mom for his success. Other kids' moms would pick up their kids from school and and asked what they learned that day; his mom would ask: "What did you ask today?"
I remember the WHY stage. LOL Ok, not that I have kids, but I specifically remember this kid when I was about 10 years old - the kid was 5. And every word out of his mouth was WHY, and it drove me NUTS!! His mom kept trying to explain how nice it was, but I certainly didn't appreciate it at the age of 10. LOL. And Faith is right. YOu can sure remember things for a very long time. I still remember my Aunt telling me when you step into water, it goes through you instead of around - I was 4 at the time I asked that question. Course I only remember it cuz the answer was wrong, and since she was only 9, I guess I can forgive her. LOL
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