Nosy

[DrFaroohk]

So the latest development of the 5yo is he's incredibly nosy now. I have no idea how to cure this, except by trying not to feed his curiosity. If he doesn't need to know he doesn't find out. It's not that it's a huge deal, but seriously, I don't feel like explaining myself every time I have to take a leak. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT WHY DON'T YOU USE THE OTHER BATHROOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHERE ARE YOU GOING HOW ARE YOU GETTING THERE WHY WHY HOW WHAT WHO WHEN WHY I HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING!"

So yeah, it's annoying. I don't mind answering questions like "why is the sky blue" even though I really have no clue why its blue. He doesn't need to know every movement I make throughout the house or be in on every single conversation that takes place. I wish there was a really easy way to get this point across. Apparently "You need to stop asking so many questions. Some things are private and you don't need to know" isn't cutting it.

[Nyoibo]

I don't mind answering questions like "why is the sky blue" even though I really have no clue why its blue.

The blue colour comes from the light refracting off of dust particles in the atmosphere and something else from memory.

[BroomJockey]

The blue colour comes from the light refracting off of dust particles in the atmosphere and something else from memory.

Water vapour. The blue spectrum bends out more than the other colours, thus leaving them mostly as "white" light, as the vapour acts like a prism.

[Flyndaran]

Actually, dust particle turn the sky pink.
The blue color comes from the refractive index of nitrogen and oxygen.
Mars sky is sometimes pale blue to pale pink from the very slight amount of nitrogen iand dust n the atmosphere.
Sorry to all those sci fi writers that want a non-blue sky and a breathable air.

[BroomJockey]

breathable air.

... for carbon-based lifeforms. After all, it might work if there's a lifeform that breathes, say, Helium.

[Flyndaran]

... for carbon-based lifeforms. After all, it might work if there's a lifeform that breathes, say, Helium.

There's a reason that's one of the so called non-reactive gasses.
Being an alien life form nut, I have done some research into hypothetical forms of life. The more I learn, the less I believe in alternate approaches.

You want a polar liquid that can operate in a wide temperature range to act as a solvent. You will just have to accept carbon as your multi-branching molecule, though there is some slight chance for an alternating carbon silicon chain, or silicone.

[BroomJockey]

There's a reason that's one of the so called non-reactive gasses.

I picked a random gas. The first one that came to mind that wasn't Oxygen or Nitrogen. Frankly, anything where there's a significant amount of energy to be gained in oxidizing the molecular gas to a new gas could be used to fuel properly adapted life. It wouldn't even need to be a molecular gas. Any gas where you have net energy released in breaking bonds and forming new ones with other atoms would be sufficient. It's simply a matter of the proper resources being available and the right start conditions of life to have something that works completely differently than us. What if we came across something that wasn't DNA-based?

Edit: gah, thread-drift.

[Flyndaran]

I picked a random gas. The first one that came to mind that wasn't Oxygen or Nitrogen. Frankly, anything where there's a significant amount of energy to be gained in oxidizing the molecular gas to a new gas could be used to fuel properly adapted life. It wouldn't even need to be a molecular gas. Any gas where you have net energy released in breaking bonds and forming new ones with other atoms would be sufficient. It's simply a matter of the proper resources being available and the right start conditions of life to have something that works completely differently than us. What if we came across something that wasn't DNA-based?

Edit: gah, thread-drift.

Eh, it happens.

The problem is that it requires a respiration and food cycles, not just a single path of energy. If all you want is simple single celled organisms eking out a barely possible ecosystem, then some of your problems get much easier to solve. It's all much more difficult than you seem to think.

[blas87]

Wow.

Children are naturally curious, and guess what? The "Why" is never going to go away with age or maturity, either. They may be the most curious at toddler and young child age, but it will never stop forever.

Perhaps you shouldn't have had kids if you're so easily annoyed by their little questions and curiosity.

[Flyndaran]

Wow.

Children are naturally curious, and guess what? The "Why" is never going to go away with age or maturity, either. They may be the most curious at toddler and young child age, but it will never stop forever.

Perhaps you shouldn't have had kids if you're so easily annoyed by their little questions and curiosity.

I disagree. It is all too easy to squash curiosity. Public school in the U.S. does a wonderful job. It turned my youngest brother off of learning and he is quite bright.

I hope you meant that last bit jokingly. Kids are a hassle no matter how prepared you are. The best parents will still sometimes hate the little buggers. They are just the ones that don't let such thoughts interfere with thier nice child rearing actions.

[tabbyblack13]

Wait until they can say "why" in difference languages. A few of the neighbor's kids do that around here. Children will ask whatever they can whenever they can. They also do it to find your buttons.

Try dealing with nosy adults.

[blas87]

I was somewhat serious about that last comment. I don't care for kids, that's why I don't interact with them, because being asked "Why?" about everything or trying to interpret their mangled jabber drives me bonkers.

I understand that every parent at times just wants to get away for a moment and not hear "WHY??" "NOW!" "NOOO!" "MOMMMY!" "DADDY!" for the thousandth time. I just think it's a silly thing to complain about when surely almost everyone knows that kids are curious and ask questions about everything. It's like complaining that your kid won't quit pooping.

[BroomJockey]

I just think it's a silly thing to complain about when surely almost everyone knows that kids are curious and ask questions about everything. It's like complaining that your kid won't quit pooping.

Or that customers and co-workers won't stop being sucky?

[DrFaroohk]

Well, I wasn't complaining about the "why". Answering questions is fine. I think its good for a child to have a healthy curiosity.

What I am concerned with is the nosiness. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" That's annoying. As all fuck. And it's going to be a bad habit later on. Seriously, would you want someone questioning every last move you make? I don't feel like I should have to explain that I'm going to take a crap, gonna wipe my ass, wash my hands, maybe even brush my teeth and shave and take a shower, get out of the shower, get dressed, do some laundry, dishes, then post on fratching for a bit....let alone to a 5 year old. Yet I don't know how to deal with it. I've tried being as direct as I can: Whenever I get a "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I say "You don't need to know. You need to worry about what YOU are doing and less about what everyone else does. All these questions need to stop. Do you understand?" "YEP!"

And then it never changes! Ah well. Someday he'll outgrow it maybe...lol...

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

My daughter is only 19 months and when I piss, she tries to pull my legs apart and look in the toilet.

Sometimes I put her in the bathtub so she can be in the same room as me and I can finish in peace without her trying to look or crying 'Mommy! Mommy!' because she can't find me. I can't imagine when she gets to be 5 and asking questions out loud all the time.

Oy.