Kids are naturally curious, which is part of their charm.
They’re taking in so much of the world for the first time and they want to know how it all works, so their inquiring minds are constantly asking “why?” And as much as we want to encourage their curiosity, by the seventh “but, why?,” we start to run out of answers … and patience. Luckily, some parents on Reddit are here to help us get our kids to stop asking “why” all the time.
● Turn the question back on them - One parent shares that they read the best way to get a kid to stop was to ask them, “I’m not sure, what do you think?” And they found it to be a godsend. The kid answers their own question, then you provide some feedback, like, “Sounds good to me.” And the best part? The kid gets to practice their critical thinking, then they move on.
● Make them ask the whole question - Another parent has started making their four-year-old ask the whole question, so he has to ask, “Why is the sky blue?” not just “why?” This makes him stop to think, engage in the conversation more, and break out of the “why-why-why loop.”
● Ask “why not” - Another technique that works for one parent is responding to the nonstop “whys” with “well, why not?” in a really happy voice.
● Shut it down nicely - When one parent has had enough of the endless “whys,” they use what they call the “Miss Manners response” by telling their kid, “I do not care to discuss it.” And if it doesn’t work after the first time, they advise, “Rinse and repeat until it stops.”
● Get technical - A parent of a three-year old shares, “Long scientific explanations work really well, too,” adding that this method has a 100% success rate with their daughter.