The “why?” phase

[lessel]

When did your kid go through the phase of asking “why?” approximately eleven billion times a day to the point it wears you down and you eventually respond with something like “I DON’T KNOW WHY, BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY.”

Only half kidding. I know it’s a phase and I weirdly kind of love it. DS turned 4 in March. What was interesting to me is the other night I was chatting with a neighbor and her son was running around asking why 64 times in a row and he was only 2.5.

[sporklemotion]

It started around 2.5 and ended at... I’ll let you know. DD1 is 5.5, and DD3 is almost 4.

[raangoli]

Around 2.5 for us as well. She’s just over 3 now and still going strong with the why. She asks some interesting questions for sure.

[beerlover]

My son is 2.5 and yep, we're in it

[ellipsis]

2.5 and right when we were potty training. That was a fun period.

[miamigirl]

DD started around 2.5 and it’s now wearing off (she’s 3y 8m). It was insane for a while...

[lilac05]

I don’t remember ages anymore, but it was a long phase. My oldest rarely just asked “why”...he always had a more complex question. When I’d eventually breakdown, he’d say, “Well, then just ask Siri!” or “We better look that up then!” LOL.

It’s exhausting, but I love it...probably because I ask “why” in my head about 10 million times a day.

[loira]

Yep, started around 2.5 and still going strong at 3.5. I have started telling her she gets 3 "why" questions per topic because it always seemed to devolve into "because I said so!"

[lessel]

May 15, 2019 21:45:58 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I don’t remember ages anymore, but it was a long phase. My oldest rarely just asked “why”...he always had a more complex question. When I’d eventually breakdown, he’d say, “Well, then just ask Siri!” or “We better look that up then!” LOL.

It’s exhausting, but I love it...probably because I ask “why” in my head about 10 million times a day.

My kid has definitely told me more than once to ask Alexa or check my phone (aka Google). 😕

I do love the curiosity and I get annoyed when I can’t give him a firm answer that doesn’t boil down to culture, societal norms, etc. I legit was pulling deep from cultural anthro 101 and wanted to explain prescriptions and proscriptions but I doubt I’d get very far before a Millennium Falcon crashed into my butt or something.

[starburst604]

I was JUST reading something about this, and how “why” is sometimes less about being curious and more because they’re learning how to start a back and forth conversation. “Why” keeps the conversation going. Rather than always try to answer, deflect it back “I always wondered why the toilet paper is round too. What do you think about why it’s round?”. Encourage critical thinking or some crap lol. But yes, I have a 4 yr old and the whys are killing me.

[aprilsails]

DD is 3y9m and I don’t think she ever asked why but she certainly is a good quizzer. She did go through a brief ‘but how?’ phase, which I assumed was the why’s. I think maybe she stopped because we were constantly correcting her grammar!

I do tend to turn it back to her and ask her what she thinks is happening and why. She then usually tells some fantastic story and it’s awesome.

[magpie]

DS is into this pretty heavy. Sometimes, I try to answer with a question to break the cycle, but he usually keeps going.

[lilac05]

May 16, 2019 5:09:45 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

I was JUST reading something about this, and how “why” is sometimes less about being curious and more because they’re learning how to start a back and forth conversation. “Why” keeps the conversation going. Rather than always try to answer, deflect it back “I always wondered why the toilet paper is round too. What do you think about why it’s round?”. Encourage critical thinking or some crap lol. But yes, I have a 4 yr old and the whys are killing me.

I found this to be very successful (when I thought to do it).  And fascinating/entertaining.  It’s fun to see how their little brains work!

As a constant questioner still as an adult, sometimes the most satisfying answer is actually “I don’t know.”  

[shauni27]

we are not in the why phase yet, but we are in the "what's this?" phase. S is 22 months and for the last month he will point to every.single.thing (often over and over) and go "whathis?"

[macmars45]

We're in the whys. DS is 3 as of last month. I'll answer DS' why 1-2x and then if he asks again I tell him to tell me. Sometimes he repeats what I said back to him and sometimes he goes back to playing.