My Toddlers' Favorite Toy? The Word "Why."
No batteries required. No assembly needed. Just one simple word that never runs out of power.
Why.
My twins ask it about everything. And I mean everything.
They don’t take anything at face value. Not a single thing. They want to understand the reasoning. They want to go deep. They want real insights into how the world works.
The other day, they asked me why my belly button isn’t as clearly visible as theirs.
I told them it’s because I have fat deposited around my belly.
“Why is there fat?”
Because I don’t eat healthy.
“Why don’t you eat healthy?”
And there it was. A question from a 3-year-old that stopped me cold.
Why don’t I eat healthy? I know better. I have all the information. I understand nutrition. So why don’t I do it?
This simple conversation with my kids became an exercise in self-reflection. The kind we never do in our normal lives. We move too fast. We don’t have time to think. We’re not even conscious about the simplest things we do every single day.
But kids? They question everything.
And here’s what I’ve learned: that’s not a bug. That’s a feature.
We call it “the why phase” like it’s something to survive. Something to get through. We sigh when the questions pile up. We say “because I said so” when we run out of answers.
But what if the “why phase” is actually peak human intelligence?
Think about it. Children are natural scientists. Natural philosophers. They refuse to accept “that’s just how it is” as an answer. They dig. They probe. They want first principles.
Meanwhile, we adults have stopped asking. We’ve accepted the surface level. We’ve traded curiosity for efficiency.
My belly button conversation could have been annoying. Instead, it became a mirror.
Why don’t I eat healthy? Maybe because I’ve stopped questioning my own choices. Maybe because I’m moving so fast that I can’t even see what I’m doing anymore.
My kids see it though. They see everything. And they’re not afraid to ask.
So, the next time your toddler hits you with the fifteenth “why” in a row, pause for a second.
They’re not trying to annoy you.
They’re trying to understand the world. And maybe, just maybe, they’re teaching you to understand it too.
What’s the most surprising “why” question your child has asked you? Sometimes the simplest questions reveal the deepest truths.
P.S. - One day they were putting their handprints on the glass doors -
And when I asked them why you are doing this. Their answer was - “Aise hi :D”
But..on some occasions, they amaze us how their ‘why?’ has led to so much understanding about how life works.
T explaining why we need to close the balcony door to prevent the room door from shutting on its own, with a thud!
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They’re the ones who know when to pause and listen.
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