Anneke Visser

@annekevisser · 10 Nov 2023

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Questions you may have from children but not adults

There are so many questions that are very annoying when an adult asks you. Questions that are either curious, intended or controlling. Questions that children can ask because it's different than when an adult asks them. One of those questions is, “what are you doing?'. I can ask that question from children and it's just my mood and who it is, how I answer it. Not every child can take a joke and you usually know it or you can tell it in one way or another. Depending on what I'm working on, I'll also explain it.
Another question a child can ask is, “where are you going?'. Here, too, it depends on my mood and the child, what kind of answer I give. Sometimes I'm honest and I say where I'm going and other times I say I don't know that and I'll see where I'm going.
These are two questions I can ask children, because they are curious by nature and they don't ask those questions with ulterior motives. Once they have an answer to their question, they are usually done and either go to someone else, or they will continue with what they were first doing.
I generally can't ask these two questions from adults, except my husband, but that's different and well-intentioned, but if someone other than my husband asks those questions, I don't like it. It also depends on the adult. You can have more of one than the other. That is quite normal. This question is usually asked because people are curious, because they want to know everything about you, for whatever reason. It often comes across as meddling for adults, who also want to give their opinion about it, whether you like it or not. It also feels like they want to control you for whatever reason. If you ask why they want to know, you usually get the answer that they are just curious or interested, that they want to know everything. I like that, but I don't always want to tell everything and I don't always want to tell you where I'm going and how long I'm going to stay away, that's up to me and my husband, and no one else needs to know that. It is also often clear what I'm doing, such as when I'm sitting outside reading a book or when I'm gardening outside, I really have to bite my tongue so as not to give a faint answer when asked what I'm doing. I don't mind if people ask what book I'm reading, it's different and that's usually a sincere and interesting question that I'd like to answer.
I understand when people think I'm an old whiner, but it's how I see it and what can annoy me. You won't hear me ask what you're doing. I would like to ask the other question again, but that really depends on the person. For example, if that person says he or she is going away for a day or a while, I would like to ask where to go, and I have no problem with being asked that question when I say I'm going away for a day. That's different, isn't it.