Parents, we have all experienced this scenario: your child walks up to you, starts mumbling something, keeps going on and on about nothing then points to a candy bar or a fruit snack or an ice cream bar, etc, etc, and then it hits you: they’re asking for something, but not being straight forward about it.

Every now and then when my little girl wants something she’ll walk up to my wife or to myself and say “I wish I could have a (insert snack or toy here), I really wish I could have one” To which we both replay, “If you want something, just ask for it!” It might sound mean to say that, but she has to learn how to ask for what she wants.

This got me thinking about ways some kids don’t ask for something straight out.  I started to wonder how creative other kids were so I posed this question to my fellow dad bloggers: “Do you kids beat around the bush to ask for something instead of just asking for it and how do they go about doing it?” and some of the answers I got were pretty hilarious.

Here are some of the responses I received from my fellow dads.  Make sure you share the creative way your kid asks for something in the comments below.

• Mark G.: “Do you think it might be possible if…”
• Michael from thepurposefulpappy:”My son A. always says, “It would be ok if I had some Gummies. It would really be ok.” It’s hilarious!”
• Jussi K.: 3 Year-old: “Daddy, I really, really miss–”  (usually juice that’s made of nothing but sugar and that can only be had on special occasions like when mom’s not seeing and I can’t help but give her everything she wants).
• Brian W from Bworthey.wordpress.org: My oldest comes out with, “maybe, maybe I want…or, maybe, maybe I can have” usually it’s a snack.
• Chris from Dadncharge.com: I always know when my girls want something because they butter my up with hugs and snuggles right before asking. How can I say no?
• Mike from Twindadtalks.com:  Baby B will start talking really soft and you can’t quite understand what she says..you know she’s asking for something even she doesn’t think she should have.
• Josh G.: Mine points and screams. In her defense, of course, she can’t talk yet.
• Eric from DadOnTheRun.com: J Bean says, “You know what I was thinking we could have…? (or could do?)” She waits for me to ask then it’s almost like she didn’t ask, like it just came up organically in conversation. Better still when she tells me “You know what Link (my son) would like right now?” He didn’t talk much yet, her translations lean very far toward her own desires. 
• Ariel I.: Bugs the hell out of me when the kids ask over and over if they can watch a TV show. Sometimes I let them watch one if I need to take my morning “constitutional.” So now, since Oren knows I won’t let him watch a show in the morning unless I need to sit for a few minutes, he asks, “Daddy, do you need to go potty?”
• Lee from Souvenirs of Fatherhood: Yes. My four year old son just says, “I’m hungry” as if I am supposed to stop whatever I’m doing and fix him a snack.
• Justin Life In 140.: My son just tries to sneak in the kitchen and take it out the fridge.
• Jeff T.: There’s nothing at all subtle about how my son asks for things. Nothing at all.
• Nick from Dadlabs.com: .It’s not every time, but I sometimes get the unprompted share… “Here Daddy, I brought you a cookie.” 
  -But you have two in your other hand.
  “Those are for me, of course.”
  Concretin Nik & TheBoy
• Rodney L.: No, either tell me what you want directly or it is a no go.