Question Overload

A few years ago I took the time to count how many questions I was asked in one particular day.  Then I broke it down by question type and used charts with pretty colors.

But that was over 3 years ago, when I only had 3 talking children, and I thought the research warranted a re-do. (Plus I forgot I even did it, until afterwards when I searched back through my blog.)

So, because I had nothing else to do, one day recently I carried an index card around in my pocket and made little tally marks to count each time I was asked a question.  (Ironically, no one asked me about this strange behavior until around dinner time.)

As expected, the questions ranged in type and complexity, including everything from, 

"What are you making for lunch?" and "When are we leaving?"

to

"What's the point of Twitter?" and "Is a Beluga Whale blue?"

Sometimes I was able to answer on auto-pilot with a quick, "Mmm-hmmm" but other times I had to actually stop and think.  I was also asked, "Is ______ a lesbian?" and "What's an aqueduct?"

After the day of research was over, I added up all the tally marks, which I had separated by hour throughout the day.  

The grand total on this particular day was.... 301 questions I had to answer.  And this was a day during which one child (who may be referred to as Question-Asker Supreme) was actually away at school for 5 hours.

I decided to make the numbers into a nice summary graph.  (I miss making graphs.)  So here is how the frequency broke down by each hour of the day.

Conclusions that can be drawn from this data:

1.)  My kids wake up with extra questions, stored up from while they're sleeping, I guess.

2.)  Meal times are challenging.  This is why my mom always had that glazed-over look at the table, and why I have developed one, too.

3.) The most frequently asked questions were:
"When is Daddy coming home?"  (NOT by me, actually)
and
"What's for dinner?"  (to no one's surprise)

4.) My brain cells are burning out at an alarming rate.

5.)  There is a reason I stumble around the house muttering, "I don't know.  I don't know.  I don't know."  (actually over 300 reasons daily)

6.) I need to go to bed now because I need to be ready for another 300 questions tomorrow.