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Original poster

When do kids start to ask Why?

20 replies

mumtochloe · 16/09/2004 10:52

DD has just turned 3 and her speech is fine but she doesn't really ask many questions apart from "Whats that?".

When do kids start to ask questions such as Why What etc??

Sorry if this sounds stupid!!

OP posts:

Twiglett · 16/09/2004 10:53

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cab · 16/09/2004 11:04

Mumtochloe count your blessing. Feel as if it was the first word my daughter ever said. It goes through phases - she's now 4, but when she's on a why trip life can be hell. Once your dd starts "why not?" is a handy one to have up your sleeve.
Sorry, really can't remember when her first why's started & TBH I wouldn't worry. "What's that", shows she's well aware of the world around her!

bundle · 16/09/2004 11:05

twig, still have a lot of WHYs at 4 yr 3 months...
but they're not quite as whiney

Galaxy · 16/09/2004 11:06

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Pidge · 16/09/2004 11:12

I was wondering about this too - dd is 25 months as was visited by a friend of the same age last week who is constantly doing the 'why' thing. Her mum was suprised my dd isn't doing it yet, because my dd is frankly a motormouth! But I thought 2 was quite early for the 'why' question, it's quite hard for them to understand cause and effect, which is behind the why thing. So I wonder if it's partly a question of exposure to older children and copying what they do without really understanding it. I've noticed since dd went to a new childminder and is mixing with older kids she's suddenly coming out with all sorts of linguistically quite sophisticated stuff.

Not that this answers your question!

I did linguistics - so will dig around and see if I can find something more informative.

Galaxy · 16/09/2004 11:15

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zubb · 16/09/2004 11:20

totally agree Pidge, as ds1 (31 months) is very into 'why' at the moment, but doesn't listen to the answer at all, he's just waiting for me to stop talking so that he can say 'why' again. If you ask him 'why?' he always says 'because' now!

cab · 16/09/2004 11:22

Been thinking about this mumtochloe - probably means your dd is a very content little girl who doesn't feel the need to demand your attention all the time? Cos that's what why's all about in this house - why=I want you to speak to me non stop.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 11:32

DD is 2y 5m and for the past few months we have had Why? How? What? type questions. Now they seem to be constantly, and the subject is getting more tricky.

Last weekends was "Why can't misters have babies in their tummies?"

Her friend's mum is heavily og so the subject keepsarising!

Titania · 16/09/2004 11:36

why do you want to know?..hey?..why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why??

um actually.....dd started a few months ago at 2 and a half!!

lou33 · 16/09/2004 11:37

Blimey, I wish mine didn't say why so much!

Ds2 is starting to ask too many questions. One of the most recent ones was, where do the clouds go at night? Simple for us to understand, but he can't grasp that they are still there just hidden by the darkness, so we get him asking it again and again and again!

I don't think 3 sounds late though MtC.

Northerner · 16/09/2004 11:45

Funny this should come up now. My ds is 2.5 and he started with the why's just a few weeks ago. I clearly remember the first time - he was on his little ride on car in teh house, and I said to him 'You'll be too big for that soon' to which he looked at me and asked 'Why Mummy?' I was gob smacked. And now he asks why all of the time, he does use it in context, but if I ask him 'Why?' he can't answer.

Pidge · 16/09/2004 11:50

Well - did a little bit of digging around and of course all I found is that kids vary enormously as to when they acquire various grammatical constructs, including 'why'. That's already clear from the responses here.

They do tend to acquire things in a particular order, so 'what' questions would normally come earlier than 'why' questions. Plus I did find one study that said it's very very common for a 3 year old not to really understand why questions:

e.g. Question: "Why is mummy eating"
3yo Child answer: "Bread!"

And they can certainly learn to mimic stuff before they really know what they're talking about! So just coming out with 'why' doesn't actually mean they know what it means. Though you can probably tell whether they're waiting for an answer, as zubb says, or whether they're asking sensible questions like hulababy's example.

Anyway - before you know it you'll be finding yourself forever saying "because, because, because!"

Original poster

mumtochloe · 16/09/2004 12:27

Thanks everyone! I am counting my blessings right now - I am sure I will be posting in a few months asking when she will stop asking so many questions!!

xxxxx

OP posts:

smellymelly · 16/09/2004 12:29

My dd is 2 on Mon and has just started, but I think ds was about 3.5

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 12:32

If I ask DD a why question - I always get some list of reasons, always starting with "Coz...." I blame nursery for her use of the word!!!!!

CountessDracula · 16/09/2004 12:33

dd is just two. The other day she pointed to the hinge on the stairgat and said "Waht's that" I said "a hinge" and she said Why? I couldn't answer her.

SoupDragon · 16/09/2004 12:57

DS1: Why do Monkeys have 4 legs ?
Me: So they can walk.
DS1: Why do Monkeys have 4 legs so they can walk?
Me : ?!

He was around 2 I think.

Titania · 16/09/2004 13:02

mumtochloe.....it wont stop!!! wait til they get to 17...mum can i have a tenner....NO....AW WHY NOT?!??!? lol

Tommy · 16/09/2004 22:30

I'm waiting for DS1 to start. His current one is get to get clear answers for his questions e.g. I say we have to go to one more shop and he says "Which shop?" (very insistently like it's really important for him to know that)The other day I was holding a sanitary towle and he asked me what it was I said "It's something for Mummy" "But what is it?" he demamnded! I just told him it was a sanitary towel and he was perfectly happy with it! I'm sure it won't be long before why appears - he's 2y8m

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