Anyone Else Feel This? 3yo Questions & Baby Demands

[BearClaire]

Hi mums! I need your help! I'm feeling the squeeze. My 3-year-old's endless questions while caring for my 12-month-old are really testing my patience. I find myself getting short with her and then feeling guilty.

Parents, how do you handle this stage of constant questions alongside baby care? Any tips for staying patient and nurturing their curiosity without losing it? Would love to hear your strategies!

I just say ‘no questions for a few minutes, ok?’

Mines 4 and never stops asking questions. I mean from the moment he wakes up to when he drops asleep.

I often turn it back onto him and ask things like 'why do you think it is?' 'Where do you think the plane is flying to?' Etc etc.

Or I just ask him why in return and he gets it and giggles and stops for about a minute.

My head feels like it wants to explode most days though between questions and 'Mummy, watch this!'

Sometimes I say ‘why don’t you look that one up in your own head?’ (Because it’s quite often something he full well knows, it’s just his way of trying to make conversation!)

or at bedtime I might say ‘keep it in your head and ask me in the morning’

I don’t have a baby to care for just a VERY vocal and curious three year old, and sometimes my brain gets frazzled. Often just as you’re answering one question he’s already moved on and asking the next 🫠

Oh yeah ‘mummy, come and look at this!’ And it’s one of his dinosaurs just….placed on the carpet.

bless him, I know I’ll miss these days when they’re gone. But today I had so much washing to get through as we’re just back from holiday and had to go back and forth to his bedroom to see a diplodocus just inanimate on the bloody rug.

Hi @BearClaire i am in the same boat! I do similar in that I say no more questions or now let’s have some quiet time at certain points

but a couple of things I’ve found are better at preparing me for the endless questions. I always wake up earlier than my daughter so I have 30 minutes of silence/ reading/ scrolling.
i have a rule that when mummy is getting dressed she has to stay in her room or play, it only takes me 15 minutes but I get to focus on a task. We also do one hour of quiet time in her room where she does puzzles etc.
so although it’s not going to stop questions and constant chatter I know there are moments of quiet coming.
its really hard to balance when the 1 year old is crying and the 3 year old is throwing questions and in those moments I have got short and said enough! But trying to just focus on the task at hand helps and I encourage her not to keep repeating herself, if I haven’t answered give mummy a few minutes!

For genuine new questions - just patience.

For repeated questions or obvious questions that he already knows:
"What do you think the answer is?"
"Can you remember what the answer was the last time you asked?"
(not in a sarcastic way, in an encouraging way to try and make him think by himself before asking others)

Jesus, I’d consider myself fortunate that I had a child capable of curiosity and questions. Isn’t cultivating and nurturing that the entire point of being a parent??

Knew there’d be one 🙄

Not after question number 789, no.

Sorry, this made me laugh so much 🤣🤣 And yes, you will miss it one day. x

Hi @Pinklilly, thanks so much for sharing your experience and those tips, they’re really helpful to hear! It’s good to know I’m not the only one in this boat!

I really like the idea of waking up a bit earlier for some quiet time before my little one is up. That sounds like it could make a real difference to how I feel tackling the day. I might just give that a go.

Quiet time is something we already do, my DC really gets in the zone when it’s time for painting. Thanks again for your suggestions

I feel your pain!
mine are 6,5,3 and 1
and it’s a constant barrage of questions
like
“mummy can a bee fly backwards?”
while I’m knee deep in poo and baby food 😂
tbh, I try and answer as many questions as I can in a calm voice but internally I’m crying 😬

Oh my goodness, that sounds exactly like my little one! It's the same here - non-stop questions and a constant stream of 'Mummy, look!' It's lovely that you manage to turn the questions back on him sometimes; I might have to try that tactic more often! My head feels like it's constantly buzzing too!

Yeah, I get that it's a brilliant time to teach kids loads of stuff. But looking after a baby as well means you're just knackered, you know? You haven't got the energy to answer all their questions from morning till night. I guess I really need to work on being even more patient with my DC questioning...