The #1 Question Parents Ask Their Kids

What do you think it is?

With little kids, their favorite question is "Why?"  but what about the parents?

If you have a child just starting to talk, "can you say_________?" seems to be a common question even though the child in question is not likely to respond.  A good friend who recently visited was lamenting how her two year old would refuse to say new words that they were trying to introduce.  Instead, she would look at them, smile, and say "no".  At least she had one word down. 

If your potty training, it may be "Do you need to go potty?"  Warning to new potty training parents: They are more likely to pee on the floor than to say yes (at least in the beginning).

"What did you do at school today?" is common if you have school-age children.

"What did you just say?" seemed to be a favorite when I was a teenager.

I was out with the girls and I had asked Emmy, "What do you say?" after someone had complimented her.  The response I was looking for from her was "thank you" but she had hidden behind my leg and refused to say anything.  Since the person was a stranger and we have been learning stranger safety I totally understood her reaction.

The person replied with a smile that that question is the most often asked question that parents ask their children.    And the more I thought about it the more I thought that I had heard that before from someone or read it somewhere.  Or maybe it was just because their statement had a hint of truth to it.

I've come to realize how astute that person was and that they were probably a parent themself.  They were more right than even I imagined.

Since that conversation, I realized just how often I do say it.  That prompt to get them to say "excuse me", "please", and "thank you" does in fact seem to be the most often asked question out of my mouth.

Close seconds are, "Do you need to go potty?" and "What are you doing?"  The answer to the first is usually no and the answer to the latter is usually silence which usually signals that my children are up to no good (usually while I am in the bathroom or doing dishes).

What is the most asked question in your house?