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24 KIDS BAY AREA NEWS GROUP "Well,Idon'twantyoutocatch cold." "Whyyyyyyy?" "Hahahaha. Well, precious, that's because every time you get the sniffles, Daddy ends up with his sinuses in traction." "Why?" And so on. Until the cows come home. Not that you should ever bring up the possibility of cows coming to your home in front of a child who is hot to toddle. "One 'why' definitely can lead to another 'why,'" says Laura Lennox, of Saratoga, who is just finishing up the wonder years with 5-year- old Ella and about to embark on them again with Malcolm, now almost 2. "They just keep going until you really don't know what you're answering anymore. 'Why is the sky blue? Why is it not another color?' And then you have to go Google it. Or you just say, 'I don't know. Ask your dad.' " It turns out, toddlers don't always use language the same way adults do, and they might not actually be seeking the level of detail implicit in their "why"s' guise. "They learn quickly that it's a good conversation starter," says Dr. Alan Greene, a Menlo Park pediatrician and founder of DrGreene.com. "It gets people talking, and it keeps them talking if they keep asking the same question again and again. Parents sometimes get tricked into trying to explain the cause of something which the kid doesn't understand, so they're not really satisfied." ONRAREOCCASIONS,ANOTE of exasperation from the adult in this exchange arises if the ques- tion is posed one too many times. Comedian Louis C.K., the father of two daughters in life and on his TV show, has rued the "why" Q&A in a stand-up routine that has re - ceived more than 15 million hits on YouTube. "You can't answer a kid's question," he dadsplains. "They don't accept any answer. A kid never goes, 'Oh, thanks. I get it.' " Patiently answering a child's questions when there is nothing else going on is one thing. Dealing with a barrage of whys from the back seat can be a bigger chal - lenge. "It's just part of being a parent, especially if it comes at the wrong time," says Dr. Stefani Hines, medical director of the Center for Human Development at Beaumont Children's Hospital in Michigan. "There are times when you're not in that frame of mind to talk about it. But they're not looking for a scientific disser - tation about why the cow gives milk. They're looking to bring us into their world, and vice versa." Greene agrees: Keep your answers simple. "Just tell a story about whatever it is," he says. "If they ask why it's raining, you don't have to explain how rain happens. But if you talk about how rainy days are fun, and rainy days bring puddles, and some days are sunny, and sometimes it snows, it's so much easier, and the kids love it." After dropping off his 5-year- old son, Hudson, at Action Day Primary Plus day care in Santa Clara, Tony Rondonuwu, an engineer, said he has pursued a different approach. "He asks about everything!" Rondonuwu says. "'Why is this? Why is that?' And then we ex - plain, and he asks again. Some- times the explanation becomes very deep and technical because that's the only way to explain. So I give him very scientific answers, and he seems to remember." What many parents fail to real - ize is that this exchange between parent and child will be reversed in about 15 years. "Daddy, I want to get a tattoo." "Why?" "I really like them." "Why?" "My boyfriend wants me to." No "why." No way. BNEWMAN@BAYAREANEWSGROUP.COM "Theyjustkeep going until you really don't know what you're answering anymore," says Laura Lennox, with son Malcolm, above. "'Why is the sky blue? Why is it not another color?' And then you have to go Google it. Or you just say, 'I don't know. Ask your dad.' "