Brain Drain Revisited
On the way home from swimming lessons, T mentioned he'd seen someone on the playground who used to go to his old daycare. I asked him if it was Walking on Tables, and he said no.
He then asked me, "Is Walking on Tables older than me?"
"No," I said, unaware of the trap that was being set for me. "You two are the same age."
"But Walking on Tables's birthday is January 5th!" he responded, clearly pleased with having "caught" me giving a "wrong" answer.
I explained that the two of them are in the same grade, are both seven years old, and therefore are the same age. And that now I understood that his question was not a real question.
Brain drain has indeed made its return in this house. Sometimes he doesn't even finish asking one question before starting in on the next -- he is so intent on just asking questions for asking's sake. We've taken to announcing, "No more questions until we are home," or "No more questions until after dinner," in exasperation. I don't think that is the best solution, but it does keep me from becoming a screaming mimi, so in that regard it is not a total parental fail.
Today however, I hit on a new strategy. I announced that since he was asking "not real" questions, any further questions tonight would have to be presented to me in written form.
"But what if I don't know the words?" he protested.
"You need to go write that down before I can answer it, " I said.
I have yet to receive a written question. He keeps trying to just ask them, and I keep telling him that he needs to write them down. I understand he may have some legitimate questions in there, but it's like panning for gold trying to sort the real ones from the brain drain ones. So if it's something he really wants to know or needs to know, he can ask; he just needs to ask in writing.
Tomorrow will be a new day. And he will once again be allowed to ask questions. Until I get a brain drain one. Then we will be back to having to write them.
I don't know that this is the best strategy anyone ever invented, but I'm giving it a go. Before I go off the deep end.
I have to comment on my own post. Last night just before bed, T presented me with a list of questions. "Can I bring my soccer ball with me to school?" And, "Which would you like most, $100,000 or an iPhone?" And a couple of others that my sleepy brain can't recall right now. So he did manage to write his questions -- good practice for school -- and you know, it occupied him while I was making dinner. And we had a good discussion about what I would do with $100,000.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great strategy! It's a consequence without being a punishment. As long as we don't cave once it's instated, I think it'll be quite effective. I just have to remember not to automatically answer his questions, real or not.
ReplyDeleteI love it. FABULOUS.
ReplyDeleteGenius! I'm going to spend the summer teaching Yosi to write... ;-)
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