Saying “no” came very easy to The Kid. I’m not even really sure when he started. At 19 months old, it’s been a part of his vocabulary for a very long time now. He doesn’t use it like a two-year old might. There’s no real defiance. It more a statement of opinion.
Me: “Do you want some more food?”
The Kid: “No.” Shake of the head added for emphasis.
This conversation takes place countless times throughout the day in some form or another. So I was really surprised when I asked The Kid last week to help me move his toys from the tub back to his room. He didn’t say no, instead he asked “Why?”
There’s something miraculous when a child uses a word or a phrase correctly for the first time. I will always remember I hope, the first time he said “bye.” The Kid crawled out of his room, leaving me there. Looked back and said bye. Until he asked why, all of his words and statements have been declarative, such as “more” or “apple.” The flood gates are clearly about to open.
They say that if God didn’t exist we would have invented him. The urge to question clearly starts very early. I hope I will have good answers once the questions start getting more difficult.
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