When do toddlers understand "why" questions? (Update post #23)

[Wilsey]

My son doesn't seem to understand when I ask a why question.

Wills: I want my toy truck. (sitting up high because it was confiscated)
Me: Why did Dad put it up there?
Wills: I want my truck.

So yeah, definitely not there yet. He looks at me like 'what don't you get lady? I want my toy truck back!'.

We get 'where' and 'what' questions all the time. I think why and how questions will be much harder to answer.

 

[SarahBear]

Now that I think of it, when we were visiting my in-laws (either Thanksgiving or Christmas), Violet was playing with refrigerator letter magnets and had them all sideways. My mother-in-law asked her why, and she replied that they were sleeping. Generally, she doesn't seem to understand, but she's answered a couple times.

As for "actually" and "probably," she's been using those words for a while now.

 

[SarahBear]

Violet asked her first "why" question today:

"Why is the dog in there?" - It was in reference to a dog who was fenced into a yard. I explained why. She then wanted to put a crumpled card in her shirt. I asked why and she answered it. Looks like she's got it.