I remember when my nephew was about two and a half. I had so much admiration for his dad, always answering the ‘why’ question a zillion times an hour and was ever so patient.
Five year old Sweet Pea has been asking his own share of questions lately. Questions that would make you assume he wasn’t listening. Questions that are persistent and sort of drive you crazy. Some days it is really hard to stay calm like my brother in law when the questions come like rapid fire.
And it’s not just that he’s asking so many questions a day a minute that’s sometimes so tiresome. It’s that he immediately follows my answer with another question about the answer’s validity, or he fires off another question. Its amazing how children can switch topics so quickly. Sometimes I find myself completely bewildered by the change in topic that I don’t have an answer right away, which, of course, prompts another question.
And if I turn the question back to him? Well, let’s say he’s pretty creative at rephrasing his question again, after figuring it out on his own most of the time, just to make sure he was on the right path to the answer!
Some days it’s so hard as a mom to stay patient, calm, and listening so completely to my child’s heart, rather than to his words, so I can show him the love he needs to hear in my words in return.
He’s inquisitive. He’s soaking up everything I say, and probably the way I’m saying it, too. He’s learning more than just the answer to his questions every time he asks one.
I continually try to put myself into his little world, to understand what he’s trying to figure out. To explore everything again from his point of view. To scrutinize my words to see if they are words he knows and understands.
I try to explore his surroundings, the item he’s asking questions about. I try to imagine every little aspect of whatever has him intrigued so I can anticipate the next question or possibly figure out what has his curiosity piqued.
My boys never really went through the ‘why’ phase, yet I distinctly remember Cutie Pie going through this question phase when he was about five. And I remember how it tired me out then, too!
Are you in this phase of life right now? How do you get through the endless barrage of questions? How do you keep your stamina up?
0 Comments