The Question of "Why"

I don't play the ''Why?" game with the kids. Not when it hampers their ability to think.

This morning's "why" scenario:

I was cleaning the blinds.
Child: "What are you doing?"
Me: "What do you think I am doing?"
Child: "Cleaning the blinds."
Me: "There you go ..."
Child: "Why y y?"
Me: "Why do you think?"
Child: "Because they are dirty."
Me: "There. You figured it out all by yourself."

Whenever the word 'why' is drawn out into a 3 syllable word, I cringe. It is a game that I don't play. Why?

Because I think that children can answer many of these questions by using their own deducing skills. It isn't often that the question "Why?" requires an adult answer in my world. When it is something that isn't obvious, I answer. Otherwise I tend to ignore the question or ask the child to figure it out.

Sometimes the question doesn't even make sense. They are playing the 'Why Game' out of habit and the question isn't even answerable.

I don't mind answering real questions. In fact, we have gone to the encyclopedias or google to find answers at times to find answers. But for the most part, if a child can figure out the answer to an obvious question, I think "Why answer?"