Why?

Well, I thought I had a few more months before Mazin would enter the WHY? phase.  But suddenly, we're in it.  It's his new favorite word.  (Former fav: "No!")  I have to say I prefer "why."  He sort of seems to get what it means, because he says it at the appropriate times, but I also think he just likes the way the word sounds.  It came right after he mastered "bye."  I think he has also figured out that "why" triggers a stream of speech from his interlocutor, which feeds his insatiable desire for more language.  That would also explain why he loves books so much right now.  I try to read to him as much as I can, but I do have a "three reads" limit on all of his favorites.  Once I've read it three times, we have to move on!  The current favorite is Roar of a Snore, which was sent to us by Dolly Parton herself and features a tiny kitten who wakes up the whole neighborhood.  It's cute and it rhymes, which Mazin really likes.  What must it be like to be flooded with a barrage of language all the time?  Actually, I know what it must be like.  It must be like going to a foreign country and having to learn the language orally, without the aid of books or classes.  Hey, that was my experience in Morocco!  And it was exhausting.  If I could have taken a daily nap, I would have.  And I do believe I had more than one tantrum.  I cried many times.  And man, if I could have convinced someone to read to me simple books in Arabic with picture clues for hours at a time, that would have been heavenly.  I would have learned a lot.  They (the almighty "they") say that reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do.  I don't know about that--there are plenty of cultures where reading is not valued, and those kids turn out okay.  Probably any activity that provides gentle and repetitive exposure to language--and the full attention of a parent--is beneficial.  It could be singing or storytelling.  I will try to remember, as I read Roar of a Snore for the 100th time, that this is part of my job.  I do pride myself on reading with great gusto and expression, no matter how many times I've heard the story...