Josh has hit the stage of childhood that I have not been looking forward to. He asks"Why?" about everything. Well, almost everything. He does have a correlated phrase that is often coupled with the Why argument, he also likes to ask;"And then what happens?"
Now I try to be patient with him, honest to Pete I do.
I largely believe a child should be nurtured and loved as long as it does not directly affect my personal biosphere, which by the way is only a working theory, I routinely have my space violated. Take last week for instance. Josh had me read him a bedtime story and fell asleep. I nodded off for about 2 hours then was awakened by a sobbing child and cold wet sheets. I changed him and the bed at 3:00 in the morning, at which point he decided to go back to his own bed and sleep, as his work was done.
About 2:30 this morning I hear a stirring in his room and stumble out half asleep to hear, "Daddy, I pooped" This is not the normal night routine, so I give the kid a pass and tried to be cordial as I cleaned him up. Josh seemed to not feel well and he asked if he could sleep with me. I agreed, and he got into bed and snuggled up to me. I was feeling all happy that my son was needing his daddy, and I reached over and turned out the light. "Go to sleep now Josh, close your eyes."
I was trying to be patient as Josh said "WHY?"
"Because I am sleepy and have to go to work in 3 hours."
"Why?"
"Because We need money to buy groceries."
"Why?"
Because we need to eat every day."
"Why?"
At this point I put a pillow over my face and prayed for a quick end. It was not to be.
Josh got really quiet and I thought he was asleep. I just started to doze off again and Josh just started blurting out everything that was on his mind at that point. I banished him back to his room.
A few minutes later I felt a little sorry for him, and maybe a twinge of guilt. He is only three after all and perhaps not the evil genius/nemesis that I am thinking he might be.
I walk to his room and I see him laying on the rug.
"Joshie, get up! You cannot sleep on the carpet."
"Why?"
"Because your bed is cleaner than the carpet."
"Why?"
"Because there could be spiders on the carpet."
"Why?"
Civility came to a screeching halt at this point and my regularly scheduled programming kicked back in.
"Because if you sleep on the carpet a spider will come get you and crawl in your ear!"
"Then what happens?"
"IT WILL EAT YOUR BRAINS!!!"
"And then what happens?"
"You will get all stupid."
"And then what happens?"
"You will not get into a good college like Harvard and you will have to get a vocational certificate from a trade school."
"And then what happens?"
"GO ASK YOUR MOTHER!!"
So he toddles off and I hear him say "Mommy, What happens if I cannot go to a good college?"
Just as I drifted off to sleep I hear Dessy mutter; "You end up married to someone like your Daddy."
To which Josh replied; " Uh oh, I am going to bed NOW!"
Now I try to be patient with him, honest to Pete I do.
I largely believe a child should be nurtured and loved as long as it does not directly affect my personal biosphere, which by the way is only a working theory, I routinely have my space violated. Take last week for instance. Josh had me read him a bedtime story and fell asleep. I nodded off for about 2 hours then was awakened by a sobbing child and cold wet sheets. I changed him and the bed at 3:00 in the morning, at which point he decided to go back to his own bed and sleep, as his work was done.
About 2:30 this morning I hear a stirring in his room and stumble out half asleep to hear, "Daddy, I pooped" This is not the normal night routine, so I give the kid a pass and tried to be cordial as I cleaned him up. Josh seemed to not feel well and he asked if he could sleep with me. I agreed, and he got into bed and snuggled up to me. I was feeling all happy that my son was needing his daddy, and I reached over and turned out the light. "Go to sleep now Josh, close your eyes."
I was trying to be patient as Josh said "WHY?"
"Because I am sleepy and have to go to work in 3 hours."
"Why?"
"Because We need money to buy groceries."
"Why?"
Because we need to eat every day."
"Why?"
At this point I put a pillow over my face and prayed for a quick end. It was not to be.
Josh got really quiet and I thought he was asleep. I just started to doze off again and Josh just started blurting out everything that was on his mind at that point. I banished him back to his room.
A few minutes later I felt a little sorry for him, and maybe a twinge of guilt. He is only three after all and perhaps not the evil genius/nemesis that I am thinking he might be.
I walk to his room and I see him laying on the rug.
"Joshie, get up! You cannot sleep on the carpet."
"Why?"
"Because your bed is cleaner than the carpet."
"Why?"
"Because there could be spiders on the carpet."
"Why?"
Civility came to a screeching halt at this point and my regularly scheduled programming kicked back in.
"Because if you sleep on the carpet a spider will come get you and crawl in your ear!"
"Then what happens?"
"IT WILL EAT YOUR BRAINS!!!"
"And then what happens?"
"You will get all stupid."
"And then what happens?"
"You will not get into a good college like Harvard and you will have to get a vocational certificate from a trade school."
"And then what happens?"
"GO ASK YOUR MOTHER!!"
So he toddles off and I hear him say "Mommy, What happens if I cannot go to a good college?"
Just as I drifted off to sleep I hear Dessy mutter; "You end up married to someone like your Daddy."
To which Josh replied; " Uh oh, I am going to bed NOW!"
