Practitioners admit it is the question that often tries their patience, but it helps to think about a particular child's reasons for asking it, says Jennie Lindon.

Q: My staff are fairly adept at dealing with young children when their stock answer seems to be 'No', but are far more perplexed about how best to respond when a child's repeated response is 'Why?' Why do some children constantly ask 'Why?', what is the best approach to take, and what advice might parents be able to pass on?

A: As this team realises, it is not unusual for older toddlers and two-year-olds to go through a phase of using 'No' liberally. However, not all children, usually around the age of three or four, embrace the habit of constantly asking 'Why?' with equal enthusiasm. Or maybe the words they use to ask a long list of questions are varied and so are potentially less irritating for the adults caring for them.

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