Better questions

I was getting ready upstairs in my room the other day when I heard a questionable crashing noise that came from the general vicinity of where I knew Sydney was playing.

Mom: "What are you doing, Sydney?"
Sydney: "Nothing!" (Shouted in response, very sweetly and innocently.)
Mom: "Sydney, what are you doing?"
Sydney: "Nothing!" (Still very innocent.)
Pause. Mom needs to ask a better question.
Mom: "What were you doing?"
Sydney: "I'm still doing what I was doing..." (Trail off, sounding much less innocent.)

When I went to see what she was up to, it was nothing bad; in fact I can't even remember what she was doing. But the moral of the story stuck with me: if I want good answers, I need to start asking better questions!