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Why do teens ask why?
"Why don't you like spaghetti sauce?" Kay asks the question with a hint of disdain. You expect her to follow it up with, "What are you, stupid?"
What can we say? Pax is a fussy eater. She doesn't like pasta sauce so much. Yeah, I find it frustrating that she doesn't like it, especially after I've worked my "this-is-the-only-thing-I-can-cook-with-confidence" magic on it, but she doesn't like it. Okay, I've come to terms with that.
But Kay has gotten into the habit of asking, with attitude, why people have personal preferences -- particularly if she has strong feelings about something.
"Why don't you like that sauce?"
"Why don't you like this show?"
"Why don't you like that music?"
The translation always seems to be: "I like it, so if you don't, something must be wrong with you."
Why? Why? Why?
I know younger children have a habit of asking why about everything, but that's curiosity. Why is the sky blue? Why are leaves green? Why do we sleep at night instead of daytime? Why can't we see stars when the sun is out? Why is Paris Hilton famous?
You know, reasonable questions.
But on matters of personal taste, the "why" question as it's being asked lately... well, to me, it borders on rude. Pax shouldn't have to defend why she likes or doesn't like a particular food (or musical group).
Why does this bug me? And what should I do about it?
Just to be clear, I don't think Kay means to be rude when she asks. I've learned that the girls sometimes sound rude when they do not intend to, and that I need to adjust how I hear them. But that doesn't change the fact that she needs some help expressing herself without sounding rude.
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Comments
Because they are teens - young, immature, naive, do not have that capacity to understand the reality of life, unlearned, unwise etc. etc.
Posted by: troubled teen program | August 7, 2008 8:58 AM