Why?
This is the question every parent dreads to hear from the mouth of three-year old . . .
Now I must admit I am a little more excited about this question than most. I get a sort of giddy, “well didn’t you just set yourself up for this life lesson?” feeling every time I hear that syllable . . . but recently I have realized that the question has taken a rather adaptive turn.
Now instead of being used as the general marker of requesting additional information, it is used as a sort of torture technique by my budding Freudian.
For when the soap makes bubbles, does he ask why? – no
Or when the we mix blue and yellow together to make green, does he ask why? – no
Or when we are talking about the seasons does he ask why spring follows winter? – no
Instead, the question why is reserved for key situations.
1. You really screwed up Mom and I am SO going to call you on it -
i.e. Why did you just totally lose your temper in the bookstore when I resembled a whirling dervish and now everyone is staring at us? I am being perfectly good now and you look like a lunatic.
2. There is actually no good reason why -
As in, why is the word why spelled with three letters when one letter with the same sound would do just fine (I’m just saying mom)?
3. I don’t like your first response you are going to have to try again.
This is a sneaky attempt to wrangle the hated “because I said so” out of me, which annoys me more than it annoys him because I know darn well that that’s not really a reason other than the exact same reason that makes me have to say that in the first place (see irony).
And my favorite:
4. Because I want to see how much you REALLY love me.
“Lucas, you need to tell me when you need to go potty before you have an accident.”
“Why?”
Translation, “Clean up my feces, woman!
Because I said so . . .”
