When you have a toddler people always ask if they've reached the "why stage" yet. All toddlers are inquisitive and learning how to question things is a natural development step for them. As a result they all seem to go through a period where they have the need to ask "why" with reference to everything they see and do.
People had warned me about the why stage and I had even started to mentally prepare myself for the why questions that I might get. But, being a bit different as always, Little Miss C instead seems to be asking "how"!
It all started one morning she asked "Mummy, how do my toy cars get made little?" Just saying that they are made that way didn't seem to cut the mustard. It's now progressed to asking how her baby brother makes noises, how he smiles and how he dirties his nappy. I began to feel like I was living inside one of those episodes of How It's Made or similar that you can always find on a TV channel like Quest.
The questions have got harder and harder and the supplementary questions that she now comes out with are really testing me. The walk home from nursery the other evening went something like this…
LMC: Mummy, how does it get dark?
Mrs C: Well, the sun goes down so the sky gets dark.
LMC: How does the sun go down.
Mrs C: It moves down in the sky.
LMC: How?
Mrs C: (changing tack slightly) The sun goes to bed.
LMC: How does it go to bed?
Mrs C: (regretting this direction…) It closes its eyes.
LMC: Does the sun have a face then?
Mrs C: Errrr – yes.
LMC: Where do the clouds go when it is dark?
Mrs C: They're still up there, you just can't see them very well as it's dark.
LMC: Do the clouds have faces too?
Mrs C: (mumbling slightly at this stage) Errrr – yes…
LMC: Are their eyes open or closed in the dark?
Mrs C: (now trying to change the subject…) Look, you can see the moon up there!
LMC: How does the moon have a face too? Can the moon see the sun? Can it see in the dark?
Mrs C: Errr… What do you think?
I'm starting to feel really thick these days. Out-questioned by a two year old!
Brilliant!