Ok. So, I love my kids. I love my kids immensely. Like a whole, whole lot. Great big bunches I tell you.
But they have started this thing that is driving me crazy. And, I really need you to tell me that your kids do it too.
It's the crazy "what if" questions. What if this? What if that? Take for example our drive yesterday to clogging practice. We started talking about four-wheelers and the reasons why I won't let them ride one. Licious then asks, "But Mom, what if the world was covered with mattresses?" Nope. Still can't ride one. Boo asks, "What if everything in the entire world was made of marshmallows?" These what if questions were just on this subject but they go on all day.
What if the car next to us didn't have windows?
What if the swimming pool is empty when we get there?
What if my socks slip down and my feet start to hurt in my new sneakers?
What if a tiger escapes from the zoo and makes it to our house and tries to live in the barn?
Dude. Seriously.
What if they literally send me to the nut house with their constant questions about the what if's?
-dana
45 comments:
LOL!
I've got to tell you it may never stop. My oldest is 23 and living on her own. During a very bad thunderstorm last week she phoned to ask what if :
-lighting hit her building, would it catch fire?
-she was watching tv when lightning hit, would the tv explode?
Poor soul, she really is terrified of thunderstorms. . .
Nope...mine don't do the "what if" game...they prefer the "Mom/Dad...can we_______?" game.
As in:
"Mom, can we have some water to drink?"
"Mom, can we go play outside?"
"Mom, can we have ____ to eat?"
All.day.long.
I could send Jack over to ask them why constantly? It drives even the most patient amongst us mad.
Mine was "But why?" to every answer I could think up to give them...even if it didn't make sense.
"Can I go to the Sara's house?"
"No."
"But why?"
"Because it's too close to dinner."
"But why?"
"Because you won't have time to play."
"But why?"
"Because it's almost dinner time."
"But why?"
OK, this is where you have to resort to something you promised yourself when you were a kid you would never tell your kids ......
"Because I said so!!!!!!"
"But why?"
Now imagine it coming from 7 yr old twins ...in stereo!!!!
There is a soft padded room for me somewhere, I just know it! Thank goodness school starts here next week!!
-Katherine M.
You are not alone. We have been playing the what if games for years and years. One of my favorites: What if everything you ate tasted like candy, but candy tasted like meat? Would vegetarians still be vegetarians if they ate the candy that tasted like meat. WHAT????? LOL
Oh, my first born "what-if"ed all the way to school everyday of Kindergarten. My favorite is "What if the school is gone when we get there and there is just a giant dinosaur and it wants to eat us."
I'm an enabler...i love what if questions (see my "I wonder" post today)...but instead of answering i always ask, what made you think of that? my guess is you'll get some awe inspiring connections!
Oh, I'm in the same boat...no worries! I'll be your buddy in the Nut House! AND my son is only 4!!!
Drives me crazy! And "Why", drive me crazy, too!
We went from
What If to
Why Not to
When can I to
why can't I
back to
What if.....
Now we play with the grandkids....lol
LOL Dana! Oh I needed a good laugh :o) No you are sooo not alone in the world and yes it drives other mommies a wee bit crazy too! Funny how when you become a mom, you finally understand why your own mom did what she did!
Gorgeous sunflowers!
Canela
I tend to to say "I don't know" - that makes them stop and think about it more themselves - it still goes on though :) Don't worry the nut house might be fun!
It Goes From What If To Can You
Can you mind the kids.
Can you Lend Me some money.
Can you take the hem up in my jeans.
Can you cook me some of your pies
It is never ending so be prepared girl you have all this to look forward to LOL.
Hugs Mary.
LOL!!!!!!!! My oldest daughter used to do this ALL the time!!! I totally know what you're going through, and I do understand how insane it drives you. been there. Fortunately that what if stage didn't last long. ;) Hoping yours won't either.
Hate to break it to ya Dana, but my kids don't do it! Never have. Course I don't have any kids, but that's beside the point ~ they still don't. 8c]
Ok I can see how that would be annoying but not as annoying as "Why"? over and over until I pull a Mom and say because I said so. When oh when did I turn in to my Mom??
Oh dear, have they ever read the picture books I Love You, Stinky Face? That kid does it in everyone of those books. I love the sunflower shots, btw. GORGEOUS!
What If's, It means they are smart just keep giving them an answer and do not be surprised if one day they say, no, that can't happen this will!! BTY, hop to my blog to pick up the award I left you!! Jane
This is when I smile and sigh and am thankful that my kid still doesn't form complete sentences...yet.
Such imaginative littles you have!
I don't get the what ifs more than a couple times a day :-)
Here lately it's the "riiiiiiight?" thats peeling the paint on my walls.
Mama, my body needs air, riiiiiiiiight?
Chickens don't like it if you throw them, riiiiiiiight?
Mama the brothers don't get ice cream cuz they didn't eat their dinner, riiiiiiiiiight?
Mama, I can come in your bed if I have a bad dream, riiiiiiiiight?
Gracious.
Currently I get the 'but whhhhyyyy?'
Here's a little poem for you. It was always one of my favorites.
Whatif by Shel Silverstein
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow talle?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!
Right there with you..
"What if an elephant weighed as much as a mouse??"
HUH??????????????
just ran across your blog...wonderful! and i think i ask the what if questions to my hubby more than my kiddos ask me!
LOL! It is just one of those things...my daughter does it too. On good days, I'm able to talk to her about and figure out what she is thinking. Seriously, there are two good things to that approach: 1. the ways kids think are just unimaginable! 2. they can't wonder about something new while thinking of why they wondered about the first thing....so it kind of gives you a little break ;-)
On the bad days, it just drives me up the wall!!
Just come up with insanely off the wall responses and see if that stops them. On second though, it may just encourage them.
Also want to say great job on yet another fabulous music selection on your blog. Though it is starting to make me broke as I go out again and look for my own copies :)
The what if's turn into can I's!
Can I have some money?
Can I borrow the car?
Can I get a new cell phone?
Can I go with so-and-so to...?
So enjoy the what if's! They grow up much too soon...I'll check back in 5 or 6 years and see how you're doing then! It's a whole 'nother world!
Oh, I needed this...I just hopped over here from another blog and I am ROFLOL at you and at all the comments. Too funny!!
My daughter is 9...yep, she does it too....now the next time she does it I will be thinking about this post.....lol
I don't recall my boys going through the "whatif" stage. However, they did go through the "asking a million questions during a movie" stage, like "what's gonna happen next?" or "why did he do that?" or "how come he didn't...?" or "what did he say?". And then every time we went to Cracker Barrel to eat, my youngest son would always, without failure, ask if the dear head on the wall was real and if the shotgun next to it was the gun that killed the dear. The same son is now 14 and still asks questions that if he thought about it a few minutes longer, he could answer for himself. His Dad handles this by always answering "3 feet.", no matter what the questions is.
Hmm... I mostly get "woo" from mine, with a little color advice thrown in from Dave. :)
I do remember my nieces going through that stage. My sister swore they were trying to drive her insane.
Karen
Mine is not there yet - but he asks "what's that" a lot. My girlfriend's daughter started doing the "What If's" regarding a potential whale watching trip - what if the whale gets too close and tips the boat over... talking herself out of wanting to go on the outing. They are at the beach now -wonder if they actually went?
What if the word "deer" was actually spelled "dear"?
I'm an idiot sometimes, jeez!
Please ignore my spelling error in my comment earlier.
Signed,
Duh.
You are not living your own private Hell....we're there with you!
My favorite questions are those posed at 7:15am on the way to school, BEFORE my first cup of coffee!
I hope your girls get past this phrase...my husband is still a what-ifer! Yikes!
HAHAHAHAHA! Dana... that is TOO FUNNY! or when they ask questions that are literally impossible to answer! aw kids! Ü
love love love your sunflowers!! it is starting to feel just a teensy bit like FALL! yippi@!
That is hilarious! My kids did the same thing for so long. My daughter is now in the "some time" mode. Can I go to the movies some time? Can my friend spend the night some time? Can we go shopping some time? What exactly does that mean?!!!
LOL! My oldest does this: Mom! I have a great idea! Then proceeds to ramble on about something for what seems like 15 minutes, and you can't interupt her or she will start from the beginning.
My two youngest ask can I questions all day. Can I have a snack, can I play outside, can I have a treat, can I have a drink, can I play dress ups, can I have a snack (they ask the snack question about 20 times a day, the piglets)!
It's nice to know that I am not the only mother can be driven nuts:)
LOL...Dana. My son who is 18 did the same thing when he was little....so I used to answer with 'dumber' and more amazing 'What Ifs' myself....LOL!!
It's created a mad scientist, who loves to explore and think...tee hee
Robyn xx
Mine are on a kick right now, when I ask them why they did something (e.g. hit, broke something, made a mess, etc) they say, "Becuase Lumpy's here". They all then laugh and go on with their day and I have no idea who or what Lumpy is....
http://www.homelyanimal.blogspot.com
I sure do know what you mean. Mine ask WHY? Why does it drive me crazy sometimes? The sunflowers are beautiful!
Dana my 8 year old does this so much I have started telling her, "The world is full of what if's, if you spend your whole life worrying about them, you'll miss out on all the good stuff". About 98% of her what if's consist of horrible happenings. I hate to say it, but I kind of find a little comfort in your post. At least now I know I am not the only mom going through this.
Those pictures are amazing. Gotta love the kids right? Keeps you young... ha!
My oldest is at the what ifs, my youngest at the why.
The why is driving me crazy, it's not funny things like with the other two. I can't wait until we're out of this phase, at the same time I am dreading the silence that I know will be heading our way in the teen years. So I TRY to gently remind myself to enjoy these moments.
oh Dana this made me really snort!! my 10 yr. asks me that kind of question CONSTANTLY!! and yes, it will drive you nuts BUT just remember, people have been known to pay money to learn critical thinking and that is a good sign that they are good critical thinkers.....just say to yourself "it's a good thing....." just like Martha, in that soft, soothing voice.....good thiiiiiiinnnnnggggg.....
LOL I had the Shell poem already to go and see someone beat me to it!! Let's make it easy if you go to the nut house Im right behind you! They serve wine there right?
~Renee
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