Last week I returned home from the Michael Buble concert around midnight to find my son bolt upright in bed, alert & ever so curious about the concert.  Part of me wanted to indulge us both in a thorough Buble de-brief -  another part of me was amazed at the ticking over of my sons thoughts in the middle of the night.   By question # 22,  I found myself offering my babysitter a mention in my will in exchange for relieving me of the incessant questions.

It is not abnormal for pre-school students to ask up to 100 questions within a given hour.  No wonder parents can feel overwhelmed, exhausted and infuriated.  As frustrating as the endless questions can be, its important we remind ourselves exactly WHY our children ask questions.

Questions serve to:
-give us clues as to what is capturing our childs attention
-help them make choices
-ask for help or guidance
-help tap children in to what those around them actually do
-help problem solve and learn about the world
-learn & recall (information received as a result of a question has been shown to be better remembered than information given unbidden)

Many toddler questions can leave us feeling exposed, inadequate and can therefore be a source of stress. It helps to remember that a key component of answering questions is to know what your child can grasp now & providing a first step answer to such questions. 

Remembering why he asks so many questions (no, its actually not to annoy ME)  is important and just being with him and having an honest bash at answering his questions,  is a key to meeting his needs. I will forgive myself for the fact that I dont know why the moon is smaller tonight than it was last night, and also for not having an interesting response to why  Michael Buble’s live band includes 9 members rather than 10.