Why do toddlers ask questions they know the answer to?

[Anonymous]

My son does this all of the time. For example:
Him: Where are we going?
Me: To a party.
A minute later
Him: Where are we going?
Me: To a party.
I'm not complaining, but does anyone know what function this serves for kids? Do they just like the reassurance of hearing the answer again? I don't think he forgot. Obviously asking the question and hearing the answer repeatedly serves some function for him, otherwise he wouldn't be doing it. I'm just interested in understanding better.

[Anonymous]

I think part of it is just revelling in the new found power of conversation. They say something....and then you answer! Sort of toddler small talk, if small talk was a new and amazing skill.

[Anonymous]

Well, when my toddler starts doing this it will probably because he inherited his mom's forgetfulness!
But yeah, I think your hunch about looking for reassurance is a good one. Not in the sense of being anxious about what's going to happen, but more like when younger toddlers drop their spoon over and over and over because they are testing which things are consistent and which are not.

[Anonymous]

I've found that if you *do* get tired of answering the same question, you can ask the question back (not immediately, but in the two-minute gap). Getting to be the one who says, "We're going to a party" usually ended the cycle of repeated questions, I suspect because getting to answer the question gives a kid a sense of mastery over a particular piece of knowledge.

[Anonymous]

It's just confirming that they understand and that the answer is what they thought it was. My five year old still does this, especially around information he's particularly interested in.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes they like a little validation. The world is a confusing and complicated place so it's nice to have a conversation with someone you love and know how it's going to turn out.

[Anonymous]

I'm 99% sure that my 3-year-old daughter sometimes does this to annoy me. One time she even made a song out of the annoying request, and sang it over and over. Pretty sure I had my nightly glass of wine a little earlier than usual that night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of it is just revelling in the new found power of conversation. They say something....and then you answer! Sort of toddler small talk, if small talk was a new and amazing skill.

This, plus I think I've read somewhere that repetition helps reinforce things in their little brains. We have decent luck answering our daughter back with questions to give ourselves a break from the 800th rehashing of, say, how Curious George broke his leg on the dinosaur bones.

[Anonymous]

I usually say "I already answered that question. Do you remember what I said?" About half the time, she does remember.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have decent luck answering our daughter back with questions to give ourselves a break from the 800th rehashing of, say, how Curious George broke his leg on the dinosaur bones.

He broke his leg jumping from the fire escape! YOU ARE WRONG, MOMMY!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have decent luck answering our daughter back with questions to give ourselves a break from the 800th rehashing of, say, how Curious George broke his leg on the dinosaur bones.

He broke his leg jumping from the fire escape! YOU ARE WRONG, MOMMY!

Sounds like a conversation in my house. An adult says the wrong answer and junior busts them for it!

[Anonymous]

My son still does this all the time at 4.5. I just respond with "What do you think?" He enjoys answer his own questions. I agree that this is just part of the learning process.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I think my DD(2) wants me to ask the question. i.e.

Her: Whats that?
Me: a freckle
Her: whats that?
Me: a freckle
her: Whats that?
Me: What is that?
her: A freckle!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have decent luck answering our daughter back with questions to give ourselves a break from the 800th rehashing of, say, how Curious George broke his leg on the dinosaur bones.

He broke his leg jumping from the fire escape! YOU ARE WRONG, MOMMY!

Oh good, someone else can relate - we do also talk about the book where George gets a job washing windows, goes through one to paint a jungle mural on someone's apartment wall, then breaks his leg jumping from the fire escape when he's trying to get away, but my daughter's preferred George with a broken leg story comes from the PBS cartoon version, where George breaks his leg when he falls after climbing up dinosaur bones at the museum. Fortunately I can usually get away with getting her to recite most of that story.

[Anonymous]

Hee hee...freckle PP, we have the same conversation almost daily in our house!

If your toddler is like ours, she's prompting you to ask the question so she can answer it, kind of like a director feeding an actor the right line. For example, when she asks "are you 2?" I don't think she's truly wondering if she and I are the same age. (She's already told me I'm 3.)