And Then What?
Lately, I’ve noticed a trend with JSL. If I try to explain to him what we’re going to do or why something would be bad, he asks the same question over and over: “And then what?”
To give an example from the weekend, we went shopping. While in the fitting room with him and NHL, they began fooling around, trying to play “Hide and Seek.” Obviously, this wasn’t a great idea. First of all, there are no hiding places in a fitting room. Secondly, it interfered with our getting the clothes tried on quickly. Finally, and most importantly, hide and seek is not a game to play in stores. It’s a thin line from a successful “hide” and getting lost.
After NHL was done trying on his clothes, he went with B while I tried on a new pair of PJs on JSL. I decided to have a talk with him regarding hide and seek and stores. It went something like this:
Me: “You shouldn’t play Hide and Seek in stores. You might get lost.”
JSL: “And then what?”
Me: “And then Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t be able to find you.”
JSL: “And then what?”
Me: “And then we’d be sad.”
JSL: “And then what?”
Me: “And then you’d be sad.”
JSL: “And then what?”
Me: “And then you’d cry.”
JSL: “And then what?”
Either JSL was looking for a full story complete with “Once upon a time” and “Then they lived happily ever after” or he was trying to wear me down. I’m not sure he got the point of our talk. Especially when, a few minutes later, he decided to play Hide and Seek with his brother as B paid for the PJs he had just tried on.
When I was little shopping with my mother, which could take a very long time, I climbed inside a circular clothing rack and went to sleep. Needless to say some panic ensued. Eventually I was found still asleep. My mother still tells that story when explaining grey hairs.
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Sounds like a creative workaround to hitting you with a “why?” after every question, something I’m personally not looking forward to when my kid gets to that age. “And then what?” does have a less annoying ring to it than “why, why, why, WHY??” I would think.
I’d be more afraid of giving a super creative answer involving kidnapping, ransom notes and implied torture. Hopefully these creative inklings will have dissolved by the time the Knob gets to questioning age. Great to meet you!
Hide and seek has no place. It can be played every where. The question and answer session only shows innocence behavior of JSL.