Does your preschooler ask questions to which she already knows the answer?

Question

My daughter recently turned 4 and constantly asks questions that she knows the answer to, or asks the same question several times over the span of a few days. For instance, if I say a word or phrase while talking to her she might ask me what it means, so I tell her. The next day she might ask me again if she hears the same word mentioned again. When I get tired of answering the same questions and I respond with "I don't know", she will proceed to tell me what the word means. She did the same thing when she was around 3, asking for instance "What color is this?" even though she knew her colors very well. She is an extremely bright child, but this just seems a bit odd to me, and I was wondering if anyone else's kids do this?

Answer 1

my 7yr old does it all the time, i think for attention, he'll ask what time it is when he knows how to tell time, cause then my husband says u tell me, then he tells him the time. it gets a little annoying but if it's an attention getter it's understandable.

Answer 2

She might be just trying to hold a conversation with you and that is the only way she knows how. If she asks you, then respond with what do you think it means. And go from there by asking her other questions, even some silly questions. This will teach her how to create and maintain a conversation.

Answer 3

Kids love to push grown ups buttons. She knows that this is bothering you and I think that is why she is doing it. I know my 4 year old would ask why over and over again or say the same thing over and over again- usually with a smile because she knows that she was geting on my last nerve. When I catch on to what she is doing I turn it onto her and ask her a million questions and she eventually stops because she wants me to stop.

Answer 4

When children are learning, we do the very same thing to them. You read a book to a toddler and say, "What color is that? What animal is that?" when YOU know the answer.

She's just practicing her "grown up" behavior.

Answer 5

That relies upon on the circumstances. If he's searching back for insurance or assist you need to be ok. If the questions being requested formally and he's searching back then it may look like your education him.

Answer 6

Mine does it all the time. If you think about it, they are just mocking us... we ask them questions all the time, so they are just doing what Mom and Dad do!

I also think it shows intelligence. It takes a lot more thought process to ask a question than to answer it!

Answer 7

my daughter is 3 and does it ALL THE TIME! sometimes it drives me crazy but try saying instead of i don't know, "you tell me". mostly i think it is for attention but moreover i think he may just want to feel like a grown up. depending on the question sometimes kids think they will be wrong. that is why I turn it around on her. then she will give me the answer and I will tell her, "wow! your smart! see you didn't need me to tell you." she's so proud of herself. they are smarter than we think and just want to understand the world around them. letting them realize they know the answer already helps them think for themselves and figure things out. it will be frustrating at times but be proud. it means you are doing something great!

Answer 8

My 34 month old does that. Maybe she hopes that if she asks the question enough times she'll get the answer she wants.

Answer 9

thats funny, cause my 4 yr old daughter does the same thing, I think it is just their way of learning and making sure that nothing changes to that answer

Answer 10

It sounds like she is trying to confirm her own knowledge base with an "expert" (you). Try turning the question to which you are certain she knows the answer back to her: " What do you think it is, means, does?" etc.