The Parrot

It used to bug Louisa that Lavigne liked to repeat everything that she said when the little one just started talking. Now, she drives me nuts by repeating things I say, in particular orders/ commands/warnings I give her.

Me: Will you please stop doing that?

Lavigne: Will you please stop doing that?

Me: Can you please sit properly while eating?

Lavigne: Can you please sit properly while eating?

Sometimes she doesn't stop after one sentence. She'll repeat every single sentence I say until I stop talking. It is irritating yet funny at times (if I'm in a good mood). She's certainly becoming more and more defiant.

Other than being a parrot, she is also a one-word inquisitor - Miss 'WHY?' I met this couple at a friend's gathering when Louisa was only a baby and they told me that at around the age of 2-3, children will ask 'why' to everything. I was prepared for Louisa to bombard me with the word but she didn't go through that phase. She'd ask 'why' but not endlessly.

Lavigne is certainly going through the 'why' phase now. When I say 'Oh, the weather's lovely today'. She'll ask 'why'. I'll then try to explain to her that 'it's sunny and the sky's all clear and blue'. She'll go 'why'. I'll rack my brain and say 'Because it's not cloudy and there's no rain'. She'll continue with a 'why' again. When I can't explain something anymore, I'll just tell her 'That's because that's the way it is'. I'd learnt from parenting class that the reason a child continously asks 'why' is because he/she didn't get an answer to a question. It's true to a certain extent but I think a lot of times, my little missy was just trying to be cheeky or like the couple had said, going through the 'why' phase. Some things have just no reason or explanation to them though I can't recall any offhand now. On certain occasions, you can tell she's just mindlessly asking the 'whys'. I have a tactic though, if I remember to use it. That is to ask her 'why' back. It breaks the incessant one-word question from her and gets her to think.