Comments on: Why the incessant WHY? Also, why (or how?) WHY? is not the same as HOW?

By: brooklinemama

brooklinemama — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:24:53 +0000

I think I found a remedy, an occasional distraction. Amie is a notorious finisher-of-sentences. I’m very good at running out of steam by the end of my sentences, especially when they have to do with everyday life things. She never misses.

- “Whatcha doing Mama?”
- “I’m taking the cups plates form the dishwasher and putting them into the—”
- “—cupboard.”

BINGO!

She hasn’t followed that up with a “why?” yet.

By: brooklinemama

brooklinemama — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:50:35 +0000

“What” was Amie’s first wh-word. She would point and say “what”. Her pointing skills weren’t very advanced, so I’d have to ask “What where?” “That!” she’d say. “Describe it to me…”

“What happens if…” is actually a really good replacement for “why” (or actually, “how”!). I’ll try to reframe Amie’s whys into that, see what happens if…

By: anja

anja — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:35:09 +0000

Anika isn’t into the ‘why’ so much as yet, but she is incessant in the car with, ‘What Atta(what she calls herself) doing?” and “Mama tell (s)tory.” Over and over till there is an appropriate response. We share a car so I drop my huz off to work thrice a week. I sit in the back seat with her early in the morning and it starts without coffee. Sometimes the stories are unbelievable and nonsensical, but she loves them!

By: Gwyn

Gwyn — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:56:39 +0000

Why has turned into “what happens if” with my son and it is almost worse than the whys when you are not in the mood! I have read that the why series of questions if often not about the questions and responses but about your relationship with the child – they are interested in how far they can push you, how much you will help them, how patient you are etc. Reading that made me much more interested in answering patiently even when onto the 26th why in a row – esp in the car!! Good luck!!