What is a stranger?
What is orange?
What is a house?
What is a friend?
What is a bed?
What is a toy?
What is what?
Insert HAIRPULL!
What is it going to take to get my child to stop asking 'what is...?' ?!!!!
I have no problem answering questions. I love that Ellie has a million questions and learns a million things each day. If she didn't ask so many questions she wouldn't be able to explain gravity, tell you every musical instrument she wants to learn or be able to show you every state she has been to on a map.
But.
The asking questions for things she already knows the answer to is driving me bonkers. {unfortunately for me the drive is not as long as it used to be either!}
How do you get it to stop?
In the beginning - this has been going on for weeks if not longer! - I answered all of the questions. Then that led to more questions. For example, 'what is a big girl bed?' 'A big girl bed is where you sleep since you are too big for a baby crib.' 'What's a baby crib?' 'A baby crib is where you used to sleep, where Madeline sleeps now.' 'What is sleep?'
Yeah, you get the point.
So now what I get asked 'what is {anything that I already know the answer to and has been in my vocabulary for probably two years}?' I say 'you know what {enter a simple concept like a color, person or piece of furniture} is.'
Maybe not the best solution so if you've got any alternatives please let me know!
My most difficult Ellie question comes when we look through photo albums of our family vacations, our wedding, your wedding or Christmases of your childhood. She looks at me with those big brown eyes and a pouty little mouth and asks, "Nonna, where was I then?"
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I told her that although she and Madeline hadn't been born yet, I was dreaming about the day when I would be blessed to have two little granddaughters and that I couldn't imagine our lives without her. After all, "I'm HER Nonna and she is MY Ellie."
So, Kristin, keep answering all of the hard questions :) and nurturing this precious little soul who can't wait to be a grown up. She will be swimming in the deep end before you know it!
I love you all,
Nonna
There's no stopping it. Every answer leads to a new question. I think our hearing needs to rise above hearing the questions.
ReplyDelete"My ears are sleepy and they need a little break." Works around here!
ReplyDeleteGwen
honestly, i tell kate sometimes that she just needs to stop. my brain can only handle so much.
ReplyDeleteFun, eh? When I KNOW they know the answer to their own question - I say, "you tell me." Usually works.
ReplyDeleteVery easy: Why do YOU think it is? Answer the question with a question. It will stop them - at least for a few seconds!
ReplyDeleteugh...chandler is going through this too. i want him to be inquisitive and not be afraid to ask questions, but at the same time, is it really necessary for him to point at everything and ask what it is? "mommy...what dat?" "that's a door honey....you know that". "oh yeah....a door. i know". repeat a bazillion times per hour. sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI usually tell Stella to tell me because she knows the answer already. Stella's new thing is, "Mommy, look at me." She says it probably 100 times a day and is usually doing nothing. She just wants attention. It's driving me a bit bonkers too!!
ReplyDeleteis it bad that I am thankful my dogs can't talk?
ReplyDelete