Joshua loves to ask the same question over and over again. Dozens of times. Over many days. I’m not sure why it is. He has an excellent memory and will regularly bring up small details about events that happened as far back as a year ago. I can only assume he either enjoys having us do what he’s asking of us or it’s like mini story time.
Recently at a friend’s house he saw the end of Shark Tale. In the movie, a shark that doesn’t really want to be known as a rampaging predator befriends a fish. There’s a lot more to it, but suffice to say that at the end of the movie the shark’s father starts chasing the fish around, trying to eat him, because he thinks the fish is responsible for the change in his son.
Joshua had many questions about why the Daddy shark was chasing the fish. So I explained it to him at dinner — the Daddy shark wanted the fish to leave his son alone so he chased him away, etc . etc. Couple minutes later, the same question. “Why was that shark chasing the fish?” – “I already told you that, kiddo. What did I say before?” – “I don’t know. Tell me again.” And this will persist until you actually answer him. But then, a few minutes later… the question.
About 45 minutes later we were upstairs and Joshua was using the potty and he started to ask Janelle the same question.
The best way to break a kid out of this cycle is to be wrong. Kids LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to correct you. Love it love it love it. So when you get asked a question you get asked all the time that you know the child knows the answer to, just be wrong.
“Why was the shark chasing that fish?”
“Because he was trying to give him candy.”
“Nooooooooo. He wasn’t doing that!”
“Oh? What was he doing then?”
“He wanted the fish to go away!”
Boom goes the dynamite.
He didn’t ask again.
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