3V0811.02 ‘That’s what’ — a microscript (4/12/80)

Peggy’s “Why?” question — which has come to follow our every
utterance to her — has become quite annoying. Sometimes we ignore
her question, treating it as an annoyance. Other reactions of ours, similar
in kind, are “because I told you to” or in truncated form “because…”

Outside, a few days ago, I prohibited Peggy from doing something she
really wanted to do. Instead of “Why?”, she asked, almost crying, “Why
’cause.” Similarly, Peggy has encountered an occasional “That’s why.”

Her occasional question “What?” has also been met with the curt and
incisive reply, “That’s what.” Peggy has apparently recognized this as a
joke — because the older children are practicing on her the three line
script:
Jokester: You know what ?
Victim: What ?
Jokester: that’s What.
Today, Peggy turned the tables on Robby. When he replied “What?” to
some question (from me), Peggy continued, “That’s what.”

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