For example, this morning while making breakfast:
Calvin: "Mommy, is the cream of wheat ready yet?"
Me: "No, kiddo, not yet. I'm cleaning up a mess."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because I made a mess while cooking it."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because I cooked it too long."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because I added too much milk."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because I didn't read the instructions carefully."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "I don't know"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Just because, kiddo"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me:
...the other day while looking at a painting that I'm doing for a friend of her kids:
Calvin: "Who is that mommy?"
Me: "You know, kiddo. Who is that?"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me:
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Why what? Why is Carter older?"
Calvin: "Ya, why?"
Me: "Because he was born first."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Um..."
...the other day while walking into a room where Calvin is playing:
Calvin: "Why, mommy?"
Me: "What kiddo?"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Why what?"
Calvin: "Why? Why, mommy?"
Me: "Kiddo, I don't know what you are asking. Why what?"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: (sigh and calmly walk away)
...while watching an episode of Mighty Machines (season 2, In the Sky) on Netflix so that I can type this:
Calvin: "What is Stearman?"
Me: "That's his name."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because that is what they decided to name him."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "I'm not sure. I bet it has something to do with airplanes."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because that is what we are watching."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Because that is what you chose to watch."
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "I don't know kiddo, why?"
Calvin: "Why?"
Me: "Why?"
Calvin: "Why?"
I never win a match of why's.
Ha ha! Yes. I totally hear you. Emilia went through that phase too. She kept asking "why" when I know she knows the answer. So now I turn the question back around on her. When she asks me "why", I ask her to tell me what she thinks is the answer and then I ask her "why". haha. =) It works.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning in my school counseling program that 'why' is the hardest question for kids to answer, even much older kids. So instead of asking "why did you kick that boy in the face?" we learned to ask, "what happened right before you kicked that boy in the face?" And even as I'm writing this, I'm thinking that as adults we don't even like to be asked why from other adults- "Why did you load the dishwasher like this?" Not that this helps at all, just to say that "why" is a tough question for everybody to answer. But you should try Connie's technique. That sounds smart. :)
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