My three children ask questions endlessly, a typical day for me must involved at least 100 questions ranging from “Whats for lunch?” to “What’s 365 x 7984?” and “How many sleeps till Andrew’s party?” followed by “but you said it was THAT many sleeps yesterday”.
Kiddicare recently ran a survey of 2,400 parents which showed that the majority feel real pressure to answer their children’s constant questions correctly and commonly find it especially stressful to answer when they’re driving. I can definitely empathise with the driving struggle. A recent car conversation went a bit like this.
Zak “Does George Osbourne live next door to the Prime Minister?”
Me ” Yes”
Hannah “George Ooobornee, who’s he? “
Zak ” He looks after all the money”
Hannah” Is he good at Maths?”
Zak “Do you think he’s allowed to use a calculator? Mummy, who lives on the other side of the Prime Minister?”
Me “Errrm, just let me concentrate I’m trying to park”
Zak “Do you think 10 Downing Street is a big house?”
Me “Probably, why did that car park so close to the lines”
Zak “Do you think it has a cinema or a bowling alley?”
Zak “Remember that house I saw on Rightmove with the pool, can we have a pool”
Hannah “Can I have a snack”
Sydney “Do Downing Street houses have big gardens”
Me “Can we google when we get home darling”
I do think it’s important to answer a child’s question correctly and I try very hard to stay engaged with my children when they ask me questions, but if I really don’t know the answer I think it’s better to admit that and then take the time to find the answer together rather than make something up, but saying that, I do occasionally try a distraction technique such as “who wants me to play that song we all love” or “anyone want a snack?”. I love this flowchart from Kiddicare which makes me feel a bit less guilty about my distraction technique and I may well try the Dr Seuss, giving whacky answers idea very soon too!
This cartoon from the lovely Hurrah for Gin sums up a scene I have experienced many, many, many times in our car and made me giggle.
“Mummy, can I eat this?”
“Mummy, look at the cow”
“MUMMY, you DIDN’T look”
Do your children ask a lot of questions, do you find it stressful to answer them in certain situations? What’s the weirdest question you’ve been asked?
This post was written for Kiddicare.
I don’t drive so I don’t have to deal with this but yes, they ask questions all. the. time. If I don’t know the answer, I tell them I don’t know and that daddy or Google will know!
I’m seriously impressed that your kids ask you what’s 365 x 7984! Mine would know not to even bother! But my son is always chattering away on the drive to school – I do have to ask him to stop when I’m concentrating on getting in a parking space but other than that I enjoy the chatter! When he is a teen I bet I can only get a grunt out of him so I’ll take questions in the car for now!
JuggleMum, Nadine Hill recently posted..5 things to consider when selling your family home
I get a lot of those maths questions, but I’ve started refusing to answer. I do try to keep chatting though as I think he’s less interested in the answer than having my attention.
Erica Price recently posted..Bounce Back Duvet from Sleepy People
My kids wait until I am on the telephone or in the middle of the supermarket with a trolley full of shopping and trying to remember what I need next lol
So many questions all the time!!! I don’t mind really, it’s just the embarrassing ones about strangers that I struggle with!
Niki – Play & Learn Every Day recently posted..Top Ten Upcycled Crafts for Earth Day
Good old Katie, she always gets it spot on. I can not count the amount of times I have said to the boys, let’s park that and come back to it when I am not concentrating on driving and we can ask Google!
Jen recently posted..Dinosaur footprint loaded flapjacks
It’s amazing the things kids come out with! And always at the worst possible time too – like when trying to concentrate >_<
Michelle recently posted..Unboxing the Canon EOS 70D + Buying my First DSLR
Oh yes, endless questions – thank goodness for google when I dont know the answer!
Sonya Cisco recently posted..Halloumi Stuffed Peppers
What would we do without Google for all the questions the kids have!
cass bailey recently posted..Five Fabulously Frugal Things I’ve done this week {22nd April 2016}….
I had 100 questions about the big bang on the way to school this morning. I find myself saying ask your Dad too often lol
Sonia recently posted..Mum in Business – Helen Jessup
YES!! A hundred questions every day and I always get really flustered around the ones I can’t answer!
Nichola – Globalmouse recently posted..A step back in time in the Dennis Severs House, Spitalfields, London
Really, you have brilliant kids. My daughter is 2 year old-now. Her every talk, questions and many activities are surprised me all the time. When she was 11/12 months, she was starting to surprise me and all of my family members.
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