To be driven so crackers by the same question being asked over and over?

[CruCru]

I have a three year old daughter who is being quite hard work at the moment. She's going through a phase of asking "Please can I go home?" This is a benign enough question but she asks it 50 or 60 times a day and asks even when we are on our way home / are actually at home.

I've started off by saying "You're already at home", moved on to "Shall we talk about something else?" to "Please stop asking nonsense questions" to "I've asked you repeatedly not to say that any more. I'm going to get cross if you carry on".

I now have a terrible headache and have put the telly on for the kids.

Does anyone else also get this?

I used to have a boss who would ask the same question repeatedly (if he didn't like the answer the first time) and that drove me mad too. It was a different situation though.

[TheMogget]

Argggghhh mine does this at the moment.
"Where are we going?" Repeat ad infinitum until I go insane.

Not one specific question though, anything just again and again and again and again...

Can't decide if she's not listening, has the memory of a goldfish or just winding me up making conversation

[MothertotheLordsofmisrule]

Still get this at 10 and 14!

Can't decide if it is
genuine didn't listen in the first place

an attempt at interaction

or a strange kind of "network ping" to check the world is still there.

Either way it's annoying after the 20th asking of "Where are we going?" - listen out for a small nuclear explosion on the IOW, that will be me finally cracking.

[notWORKzilla]

My sister used to always say that she wanted to go home even when we were at home.
Turns out she was feeling anxious and didn't know how to verbalise it. She associated "home" with feeling safe and content and saying she wanted to go home was her way of trying to say she was feeling anxious and was looking for reassurance etc.

My 3 year old is also going through a lots of questions stage but is also getting worried and teary for no reason at the moment. We've been travelling a lot and he may be craving stability or it may be a flood of hormones and completely normal.

So it's not unusual but I do understand how annoying it can be too.
Maybe make a cuppa and have a cuddle with her while you watch some cbeebies together. give yourself both a break!

[Mojotights]

Found myself at the checkout in Sainsbury's last week casually responding why why why why why ...... much to the amusement of the customer in front of me who was buckled over laughing 😂 .... think I triggered a distant memory for him .... ds forgot the whys & moved onto wanting to put the money in the till 🙄

[Holidayhooray]

Even if you're at home.

"Mummy, please can we go home?"

"Sure"

[Holidayhooray]

Just answer
"Sure"

Every. Single. Time.


Just "sure".

It means you don't have to engage any brain cells whatsoever. And your daughter will eventually get sick of the same response, day in, day out.

[isthistoonosy]

Ours asks the same thing over and over, usually what are we doing today / where are we going / do I have nursery today - type questions.

We answer a couple of times and then just say I don't know, and ask him what he thinks the answer is. This tends to stop it.

I think it is just that he wants to talk and doesn't know what to ask us or how to make small talk yet.

[splendide]

Mine says "mummy mummy mummy mummy I got a good idea"
Then I say "yes?" Then he stands there trying to think of one. Quite often it's we should go home or we should go to a cafe.

[TestTubeTeen]

The answer to 'please can we go home ' when at home or on way is "no let's go to the moon" "no, we're going to jelly riding a sausage" "yes, let's go to our anthill" "where is home? Is it under the sea?"

Etc.

[steff13]

Someone will be along shortly with a woo suggestion.

Well, obviously she is remembering a past life and wants to go to that home.

My daughter went through a phase where she was constantly asking if we were "there yet," when we were in the car, when we clearly weren't there. For a while, I'd say, "we'll be there in 15 minutes," or whatever. Finally I got fed up one day and said, "yup, we're here, get out," even though we were still driving. It cracked her up. Of course, it kind of backfired on me, because now she asks so I'll tell her yes, get out.

[Shadow666]

Change the subject. She just wants to talk but can't think of anything to say.

Mummy, can we go home?

Sure. What do you want for dinner?

[Yerroblemom1923]

I used to all why a lot as a child and my mother's response (usually when it was attire obvious what she was doing eg peeling potatoes)was "playing marbles "!

[user1492970817]

I remember my Mother whenever we kept on with the "why" question,we got because I bloody said so. That was many moons ago.

[TenForward82]

@toomuchtooold

[SleightOfHand]

I think the woo meant the place of being before birth and after death.

[NuffSaidSam]

'Someone will be along shortly with a woo suggestion'

What like she's really an alien? . It did make me think of ET.

It's a really annoying phase this one. I agree with everyone else just answer once properly (particularly if you're out) and then just answer very briefly yes or no.

Or make a joke of it and say 'no, unfortunately we're stuck here on the moon because the rocket is broken' or any other random thing that she might find funny/amusing/entertaining.

[IAmBreakmasterCylinder]

I'm not sure if she's too young for this but I read on MN a while ago about something like 'asked and answered'.

You answer their question properly first time and possibly again to emphasise then every time they ask the same questions you say 'you've already asked me and I've already answered' then sya nothing else.

It has been hugely helpful with my much older DS who constantly asks for snacks out of boredem even when I've already said no. Once he cottoned on that he was always going to get that response he stopped asking so much. Still tries it on now and again

[YouTheCat]

I look after a little girl who asks this question and also does 'why' repeatedly. Unless it's a valid question (say if we've been somewhere for a while and she's getting a bit bored), I always answer her 'why' with another question. It stops her if she's just saying it for the sake of it.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

My five year old still does this, I don't even hear it sometimes - it's so continuous and repetitive it's almost become background noise. I don't have the answer sorry, just sympathy. It drives me mad when I'm driving I can't concentrate unless I tune him out then he gets stroppy that I've been ignoring him!

[plantsitter]

DD2 used to ask 'where's mummy?' To ME, when I was RIGHT THERE. Drove me nuts. But yes, she was just trying to interact/make conversation.

I found a tickle helped after the 6th/7th time.

[SleightOfHand]

"This is where we have to be right now", "I love you", then give her a hug.

[fleshmarketclose]

Get her to repeat your answer back to you. So she asks "Please can I go home?" and you answer "yes we can go home after shopping etc" Then immediately ask her "When can we go home?" and prompt her to give you the answer that you have just given her. Hopefully that will help the answer to stick in her head and stop her repeating the question but if she asks again just say " What did I say? We can go home ......" and allow her to give the answer.

[Mummaofboys]

I'd ask her the same question back 'please can I go home' I'd answer it every time the same way so she gets bored with the same old boring answer 'please can Mummy go home' if you answer with that every time even if your at home or not planning to go home, the monotony of the answer will bore her soon enough.

[Gizlotsmum]

We get this. Mostly when he is tired/ insecure.. especially if we are at home. I just tell him yes or you are which works eventually. Sometimes asking where he means by home ( if the above doesn't work) stops him

[SpottedGingham]

Someone will be along shortly with a woo suggestion.