Children and the "but why" question

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I read on the magical Internet that knows (almost) everything that the average number of questions asked by each child per day is 427.

I believe that. Sometimes I think that figure should be per hour, but I digress. If you have more than one child of speaking age you are looking at the potential for thousands of questions every day.

Some of which are easy to answer: Where is my hat? Why is the sky blue? And why can’t I have chocolate for breakfast? Some are harder: Why aren’t I as tall as you? Why did my goldfish die? And what’s for dinner tonight?

“But why mum???”

All parents know that special tone that children use for “but whhhhyyyyy?” And while I do believe that you should do your best to answer as many questions as you can, sometimes “Because Mummy said so.” IS an acceptable answer. I do have a few “but why?” questions of my own that I have so far been unable to find answers to:

• Why do my children play nicely by themselves until Mummy goes to the toilet?
• Why do they instantly start screaming the second Mummy gets on the phone?
• Why do I not notice the baby sick all down my back until I return home?
• Why does the baby do a “number three” on the one occasion I am out without a spare outfit?
• Why do kids complain about being hungry then don’t eat their dinner?
• Why is it that you can be ready early and yet still be late?
• Why do kids like vegemite sandwiches in their lunch box every day…. except every second Thursday? Then it has to be cheese or the whole world will come to an end.
• Why can children go all day in shoes that are on the wrong feet yet spend half an hour throwing a tantrum on the floor when their socks are not on ‘just right’?
• Why does the baby wake up the second you finally sit down with a hot cup of tea?
• Why do I spend so much time on the Internet and then complain about having no time?
• Why do I continue to go to bed late and then wonder why I’m so tired the next day?

I’m sure I could come up with 427 questions but I have to go and look at things on the Internet now and make a hot cup of tea that will never get finished.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the hat is on the hook at the door, the sky is blue because blue and violet have shorter wavelengths than other colours and therefore has less work to travel uninterrupted through the atmosphere and you can’t have chocolate for breakfast because I ate it all.

This article was written by the fabulous Kristi Grigg

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