Questions without a reasonable answer

As a parent do you ever say things to your children and think what you’ve said sounds a bit rubbish in terms of an explanation? Perhaps if they ask a question or ask why something is how it is and you say “just because”.

I hate those moments really, the ones where you know that what you’ve said is totally inadequate in terms of an explanation but at the same time you don’t have a better one. I find it quite a frustrating part of the parenting role to be honest.

I think that this obviously changes as children get older and you are able to reason with them more and they understand what is acceptable and what is not at any given point in time. As children get older for example they begin to understand the kinds of things that are acceptable to eat for breakfast and that Haribos and Fruit Shoots are not part of that list and why children go to bed before grown ups.

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Over the years these are some of the things I’ve had to enter a discussion about:

  • “I would like blue pasta tonight Mummy”
  • “What would you like for breakfast?” – “Cake please”
  • “We are going out now, can you please get dressed” – child appears either naked, just in underwear, dressed but without underwear, in a costume of some sort or even in an underwear and wellies combo with a hat
  • “I’m hungry” – “No problem, I have apples, bananas, yoghurts or you could have some toast, what would you like?” – “Smarties”
  • “I don’t want to eat my jacket potato first, I want to eat my strawberries and yoghurt and then my jacket potato”
  • “Can you please sit down with that glass so you don’t spill your drink” – “but you’re standing up with your drink Mummy, you sit down in case you spill yours, I’m OK”
  • “It’s bed time” – “No it isn’t, it’s still light outside and you said when it’s dark it’s bed time”

I do hate the “just because” as an answer as I remember that irritating me as a child but sometimes you can find a full explanation gets you into even more bother.

What sorts of questions do you get that you don’t have a proper answer for?

1 comment

  1. It depends how quick witted you are and often if i didnt know i’d make a joke of it Or the “Go and ask your father/grandma/auntie or whoever else they can quickly phone ?

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