The unwavering dedication of toddler questions
November 28, 2017
We are living in the thick of questionville with our three year old – we are up to our eye balls in daily, hourly, minute by minute questions from her sponge like little mind. It ranges from ‘can I get up now?’ to ‘what’s your favourite song’ and the favourite at the minute….’please can I have xxxxx’ (you can insert pretty much everything from sweets to a bedtime story in there).
My feelings towards this particular phase* (I don’t think it’s a phase, I think she’s set for life) are as varied as what’s coming out of her mouth. I have huge amounts of pride for her inquisitiveness, her desire to understand the world and sharply thought out questions but oh my, when you’re on the fourth time around of ‘what are we doing today?’ in five minutes I could swear – and often do under my breath, which even that get’s a question; ‘what did you say Mummy?’. The child has sonar hearing!
She dedicates a lot of her day to these hunts for more information, normally the level of attention reserved only for Disney films and colouring. I entertain the relentless questions for longer than I get to drink a cup of tea, or until she goes back to basics with ‘why?’ and then I really have to stem it. I’ve found myself recently sounding so much like my Mum with this classic line – ‘just once it would be nice if you could just do what I ask and not question me.’ Oh. My. Word. I think I even put emphasis on the ‘once’ like she used to. I mean, the kid is three and as clever as I think she is, surely she can’t know that this is the question to push all parental buttons? Can she?!
I’ve been given feedback in the past that I can be relentless with my questioning, not easily accepting of information presented and not knowing when to move on so it would seem the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I just figure if I can’t understand why we’re doing something or I don’t get where it fits into the bigger picture how am I meant to get on board? I’m sure the threenager is thinking exactly the same!
I don’t want her to lose her intrigue so I’m desperately trying to calm my sleep deprived brain and avoid jumping straight to the short responses and give her some decent attention when I answer her. I want her to go through life questioning things and not just accepting something because somebody else has said. However….anytime you want to pause Miss Polly and just go with it, that’s grand too kid.