Before I had children, I was one of those naive people who thought, "I don't understand why parents get frustrated with their kids for asking so many questions. The poor things are just curious! When I'm a mom, I'm never going to be impatient with all the questioning. I'll just cherish that magical phase of learning and exploring and do my best to explain the world in all its wonder to my budding Einsteins."
Ha.
I don't think Spencer pauses for breath, except to eat and sleep, and sometimes not even then. Talk, talk, talk! Why-why-why?! If he was just asking such lovely and creative questions as I'd imagined in my naivete, like "Why is the sky blue?" I think I'd be okay. But he asks unanswerable things all the time, like, "Why is this a broom?"
???
How am I supposed to answer that? "Because it was made that way"?? Which answer he inevitably follows with "Why?"
We've just returned from California, where we spent two weeks with my husband's family. My poor father-in-law, who has helped raise eight children, was a bit overwhelmed by Spencer's interrogations. Grandpa Bair was trying to install a shelf in the laundry room, which Spencer found completely fascinating, of course, and Spence asked so many questions, he wasn't even giving Grandpa enough time to answer one before inserting another.
And tonight's questioning:
(Joe and I were talking about a lunch he had today with a lab mate, Rahoul.)
Spence: Who's Rahoul?
Joe: A guy at my lab.
Spence: Who's the guy?
Joe: Rahoul.
Spence: Who's Rahoul?
Joe: He's a guy at my lab.
Spence: Who's the guy?
Joe: Aaaaah!
(And later)
Spence: Why do chickens have legs?
Me: (very tired) Because they do.
Spence: Why?
Me: So they can walk. What would you do without legs?
Spence: I'd somersault all the way down the hall.
Okay, at least his own response was creative. Maybe I should work on returning the questions to him more often. I do cherish this phase. Really, I do. I just wish it involved less ... just less.
7 comments:
Ashley, I laughed out loud throughout this entire post! Sooo funny!
I know what you mean about the questioning. It's tiresome! Abby isn't as bad as Spence, but she does have a lot of questions.
Hope you guys are doing well!!
(Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the questions you asked on my blog. I will get you my mom's bread recipe!)
Ooh boy I can relate! For a while it worked for me to say "what do you think?" and then he'd come up with some adorable response. Now it goes like this:
B:Why do chickens have legs?
A:What do you think?
B:What do YOU think?
A:...
So funny! Alex asked me why a horse is called a horse, and why pluto isn't a planet anymore. These are questions I could answer truthfully (I'd have to look up the horse name...) but I generally just make up answers :) Poor kids, poor moms
Oh he is good. I love the "I'd just somersault down the hall." What does he do if you ask him, "Why do you think?"
I loved your description of the "why" phase! One of my favorites: "Why do you not want a dump truck to run over me and smash me? Why, Mommy, why?"
I know it is exhausting at times, but you will miss it when they are all grown up and on with their lives. Trust me. Thanks for sharing these little tidbits!
When I turn it around to Spence, "What do you think?", these days he's protesting, "No, Mommy, WHY?"
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