How do you deal with children who keep asking why?

Children - They are just a bundle of joy, aren't they?
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
February 26, 2009 3:58am CST
Have you ever dealt with children who love to ask why? So much so it really leaves you with no answers and you get irritated. Like for example: "Why is the sky blue?" "Because of the light reflecting on the earth which give the sky a natural blue hue" "Why does the light reflect on earth?" "Because the sun shines on it" "Why is does the sun shine?" "Because the sun is a bright start that like a fire in the sky" "Why is the sun like a fire?" "Because of the gases that it is made up of" "Why is there gases in the sun?" "Because there are gases..." "Why?" "Because that is the way the sun is" "Why?" "I don't know already" "Why?" "I never studied it before" "Why?" "Arggghhhh~~~!" The never ending barrage of whys can really drive you nuts some times. And when you look at them, they some times do it just to irk you cos they ran out of questions to ask. So asking why seems to be the only way to keep you offering more information to them. Whether they understand them or not is another matter altogether. So, parents out there, how do you deal with an inquisitive child that refuses to stop asking why?
7 people like this
16 responses
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
lol =D I believe that, i'm definitely not such a kid who's so fond of asking why.. lol =D Because i dun even know that that are gases in the sun, and i also dunno why is the sky blue.. lol =D I will only believe waht i see and unless it's something to my interest, i will then ask alot of questions about it.. hehe ^_^ But when it comes to your own kids, that's what most parents encourage their kids to do, ask questions whenever in doubt.. BUt little did they expect, kids have so much questions and curiousity in them that cna actually make one bonkers over their questions.. lol =D If ever i have kids, i will never ask them to ask me 'why', but i will tell them 'what' instead.. lol =D
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
That is mightly fine idea! To teach the child to ask what instead of why. Maybe I will give that a go.
1 person likes this
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
lol =D U can try it, but by time she starts schooling, the 1st thing she will ask u is, 'Why i'm learning different things from u and teacher'?? lol =D
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
26 Feb 09
LOL LOL! as a mother of three i so so so understand this whole stage in a childs life. all of my children did the whole why why why thing. my 4 year old little girl is there now. and everything is why why why!! what i do is just try and be as honest as I can. I give her answers that a 4 year old can understand. I don't give answers to shut her up. and if she keeps asking why i will continue to answer her until i really just don't know.... yeah it can be a bit much sometimes, but i rather her ask me questions the questions then trying to figure things out on her own or ask other children. because trust me if you don't answer them, that is what they do. they will feel like they can't come to you. i am so blessed that my two older boys always come to me. no matter what the subject is. they know i am going to be honest with them and not judge nor lie
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
I too try to answer as many of those questions as I can. It is when I ran out of answers, that is where I got stuck at getting out of the why-why-why session. So how do you get out of these why-why-why sessions at the point where you ran out of answers?
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
27 Feb 09
by just being totally honest and saying i really don't know honey, but if i find out i will be sure to give you the answer. nice and simple and right to the point, and most of all honest
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Mar 09
And they will just let it go like that? What if they continue to ask why? What would you do then?
• Singapore
11 Mar 09
Oh so sorry, I just posted a discussion randomly from one of my draft topics. I just notice you have a similar one here already. Mine bad.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
11 Mar 09
No problem my friend. We can always share our views in each other's discussion. Which one is it? Send me the link and I will go visit!
@youless (112123)
• Guangzhou, China
28 Feb 09
Actually my son has quite a lot of questions everyday. Frankly, sometimes I really feel so tired when I have to answer his questions all the time. His little head really has many questions now and then. Sometimes finally I have to surrender and I tell him it is just like that. One day when you have your own child, perhaps you will understand my headache:) I love China
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Mar 09
ha ha ha ha ha... I do not need a child of my own to feel that headache already! So many nephews and nieces are already doing that for me! That is why I started this discussion. To see if there are any good suggestions to deal with those situations when I am stuck!
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
27 Feb 09
HahaI don't have children yet so I'm not faced with all the whys you have listed, hahaBut honestly, I would love a child to ask me things & all the whys providing he's not there to irk me of course, not the nonsensical whys but the plain attitude of wanting to learn should never be shut off
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
I too have not have kids of my own yet. Just that, of late, I have been interacting with a lot of kids. From those that take the same bus on the commute to work to the ones that my parents are babysitting. So I find it interesting to be so exposed to them. Their genuine responses and their inquisitive questions are always welcomed. Problem is, when I get into one of those why-why-why session, I find it tough to say no to a kid, but I get stuck when I run out of answers to their incessant whys.
1 person likes this
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
27 Feb 09
HahaI understand the incessant why-why0why-why X1000, hahaBut like you, I do love kids with their inquisitive questions & their innocence
1 person likes this
@maxilimian (3099)
• Indonesia
27 Feb 09
LOL! It's look like a joke for me hehe sorry .. well it's really annoying questions, especially if it is not children (an adult) hehe altough i'm not yet married, if i'm facing it, then i will said later, one day you will know the answer by yourself so i'm not answer you for the question you ask ... hoping the children stop questioning again, if they can't stop, i will make a silence
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
That may work for some kids. But not all of them will be satisfied with such an answer. And they will go to a single worded question instead. "Why?" "Why ah yee, why?" ... and it can go on if the child is persistent!
• Indonesia
5 Mar 09
waw, tough kids lol then answer it : "That's why" that's why and that's why without explaining anything to them lol, i think just one explanation is enough, if they keeps asking why, the rest answer is that's why
@lvhughes (545)
• United States
27 Feb 09
I always try to explain to my 4 year old all the answers to his why's but evertually there comes a question i dont know the answer so i tell him I dont know the reason God made it that way. Yes I know that the non religous well jump on this way of answering a childs question but We are religous so it works good.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Mar 09
Yeah... though we are older then them, we are not the know it alls. And when you get stumped, do you take the effort to go check it out to seek an answer? Or would you just say "I dunno" and leave it as that?
@mansha (6298)
• India
27 Feb 09
"Arggghhhh~~~!" thats my exact response too, i have a two year old and believe me her questions are often without any reason and may be never looking for an answer , she seems to ask for the sake of asking. "Why are we going home"? "we are tired." "Why are we tired" "Because we walked so much" "why we walked" "We went to the market."... "Arggghhhh~~~!" its really a long questionnaire but it ends with this or may be me giggling all the way home.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
Yeah, it can be quite a funny scene. That is provided you are in the mood to entertain the child. But if you happen to be in a foul mood, it can be really trying to get the child to stop asking why.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
27 Feb 09
My two year old daughter is currently like that... our time is filled with what's this... what's that... why... why... why... it is so cute but as a mother... i must admit that i get tired of answering the same questions over and over again... i try to be as patient as i can... but when i am worn out... i just divert her attention to something else... and that will give me a few minutes to rest... and we can start our question and answer game again...
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
Hmm... diverting the child's attention eh? I will see if that will work. The kid that I am with is very persistent. It may or may not work with this kid.
@kissie34 (2294)
• Philippines
27 Feb 09
Same as you, I also get irritated sometimes when my niece keep on asking me "why's" question and sometimes I can't deal with and get mad at her.. Sometimes, she meant asking questions just to make me irritated or she just want someone to talk too.. I really hate sometimes answering all of her question but I still need to answer it because she's a child and I know that she is just curious about something else that she see or wants to know.. I don't sometimes deal with her question especially if I'm not in the mood but still she keep on asking and asking me her questions until she get tired and nothing to asked.. If ever I don't know the answer anymore I just told her that i don't know maybe I need to search it somewhere else to know the answer and if I already find the answer, I'll let you know.. Well, kids are very excellent memory and of course she always going to ask me if i already know the answer..
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Mar 09
Yeah... I know what you mean. They sometimes do ask for the sake of asking. And I sometime feel that they purposely do it just to irritate you! Cos they know they can. But giving them the benefit of the doubt, I will always entertain them as much as I can!
@chookie1971 (2271)
• Australia
27 Feb 09
That is so annoying. I didn't get that from one of my kids but I did get it from the second kid. She is still annoying but at least it is not the why questions so much. Even though she still asks them. These are the questions that constantly annoy me and she is 9. What's for dinner? what time is it? can I have a look? can I go to the shop with you? Can I come? Can I have icecream? can I have lollies? can I have a soft drink? Can I this and that. The what questions and the can I questions. And she asks so many questions all day. I don't know who to deal with it any other way except for don't ask questions that does not concern you.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
The worst thing that can happen is they start off with a what and a can-i question. And then when you give them the answer and a reason, they will start to ask why. And the cycle will just begin with no end in sight!
• China
27 Feb 09
I have no patience to answer so much why to children. When I was a child, I would like to look for answer by myself but not ask parents or teachers. I will be crazy if children ask me so much questions. I think I never try a job regarding children. Fortunately, my boyfriend have a lot of patience and he would take the burden to answer our baby's ten thousands of why questions, I think. Wow!
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
Trust me, no matter how patient a parent is, he or she will run out of answers to the endless whys that children have. And before you know it, your future husband may be going "I dunno, go ask your mother" and direct them to you!
@sadiq007 (334)
• India
27 Feb 09
Hi Friend, I always try to give proper answer to my child's. and then it will start question after question...yeh but yet try giving answer of his every question... with possible explanation.... Wish u happy Parenting.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
2 Mar 09
Happy parenting? No no no... long way to go. The child in question are my nieces and nephews and wards. No kids of my own yet. One day, one day when I have my own. Now, not yet time!
• China
27 Feb 09
there is a saying that when a kid is asking you why, it is probably that it has its own ideas, in this situation, you just ask it back "what do you think is the reason? dear" :)
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
That is a fantastic idea! Throw the ball back to the kid to see how they deal with it. And at the same time, listen to their reasoning skills. Very good suggestion indeed! I love it! Thanks for sharing that suggestion my friend!
@janisvg18 (181)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
i've experienced that form a friend's daughter. at first it's cute and funny. then as i spent more time with her, she asked more question... it got more irritating. i really want to shut her up... but i can't! i'm a guest! i was making this fake smile... hahaha! i think i have no patience in that area. hihihi
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
I am always happy when kids ask lots of questions. It is when I run out of answers that I feel that I am in a predicament.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
26 Feb 09
I just answer them. It's how they learn. Not only learn what they are asking but the reactions to the ones they question. They learn patience and tolerance by your reactions to them.It's a stage most children go through at a certain age and they are registering everything. I like talking to kids..they are funny and cute. I appreciate their innocence.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
27 Feb 09
Yeah... I love talking to kids too! Their responses are so genuine. And so, well, innocent. It is when they get into one of their why-why-why sessions that I always find difficult to get out of. Cos at one point in the why-why-whys, I will run out of answers. It is when I run out of answers that I am stuck at how to get out of it.