Why kids repeat the same phrase three times ?

Hi, I'm Dora.

I usually think questions are hanging all around our world.
This article is surely one of them.

Why kids used to say the same thing three times, whether
American kids or Japanese kids, especially when they are
upset or so much delighted ?

For example :

One day I was shopping in a huge mall that is in a Chicago suburb.
There was a family whose daughter was about the age of nursery
schools. She had blond and curly hair and pretty face so that
she was like a beautiful doll.

I assumed that she was asking a some kind of favor to her
parents, like as having an ice cream or buying something.

Then she said, in almost singing voice.
"♪Right now, right now, right now♪"

The next example is in a movie which is the one of the greatest
title of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, "Sleepless in Seattle",
its Japanese title is "めぐり逢えたら".

The kid in Seattle is arguing with his dad who is acted by
Tom Hanks, in their home.

Then kid says to his dad angrily and runs into his room.
"I hate you ! I hate you ! I hate you !!!!" Then bangs the door.

Why kids repeatedly say the same thing three times ?
Why not two times or more than four times ?

In my memory of my kid's period, we used to say something three
times, like as "バカ！バカ！バカ！" or "イヤ！イヤ！イヤ！" or
"汚ぁ〜い！汚ぁ〜い！ホント汚い〜！".

What do you think about that ?
Do your kids say something in those way ?

I feel like saying like this,
"Woooow, I feel the same as you, kids,
(I mean this"kids" said the same thing three times,
run, Rola, run,
ako says yes,
one two three,
this is fun!"

Yes, just fun, fun for me.
Rhythmical. Comfortable. Like riding on clouds in the sky!
I feel like even dancing!
Crazy? Clumsy? Crooked?(笑)

Oh, sorry, I should have written my name, first.
I forgot.

Hello, Dora, I'm ako.
Nice to see you, here in this "Chat with SSS friends in English"
for the first time!

Long time no see you, this board.....
I haven't come here for a loooooooong time.
Sigh.........(like Snoopy)
Besides, I never have any chance to use English like this!

Only reading, only shadowing, only listening.
In, in, in!
Wow, I happen to say three times.
No speaking, no writing, no using.
No, no, no!

But!
You gave me a good chance.
Today is a special day for me. Jan.29,2008? OK.

Well, I should move on to your main topic.

I don't know why.
I can't explain any.
But the only thing I can say about saying the same thing three times is that makes me like that, that I wrote above.

Then I'm waiting for someone who can tell more about this topic.

Thank you, Dora.
This is a wonderful chance for me to write English, ummm, wait,
to use English, ummm, wait, wait,
something different..........
ahhhhh.........yes, to communicate!
To communicate with a real person in English!

Thank you!

Hi, ako!
I'm Dora.

〉I feel like saying like this,
〉"Woooow, I feel the same as you, kids,
〉(I mean this"kids" said the same thing three times,

Oh! You do ?

〉run, Rola, run,
〉ako says yes,

Yes ! Yes !
You can do it !
Don't worry !
Don't think anything else !
Just do it !

〉one two three,

Here we go, Woooooh !

〉this is fun!"

Oooh-hoo...

〉Yes, just fun, fun for me.
〉Rhythmical. Comfortable. Like riding on clouds in the sky!

Wow!! you're like Son-gokoo !

〉I feel like even dancing!
〉Crazy? Clumsy? Crooked?(笑)

Okay, okay.
Now calm down, calm down...

〉Oh, sorry, I should have written my name, first.
〉I forgot.

All right.
Take a deep breath.
You're now totally sane, just as normal as usual.

〉Hello, Dora, I'm ako.
〉Nice to see you, here in this "Chat with SSS friends in English"
〉for the first time!

Welcome back to this chatting board, ako !!
You've been absent here for 9 months plus 14 days plus
11 hours and 38 minutes.

What a long time we had to leave ourselves with our loneliness
because we couldn't see your funniest article !! (Tears...)

〉Long time no see you, this board.....
〉I haven't come here for a loooooooong time.
〉Sigh.........(like Snoopy)
〉Besides, I never have any chance to use English like this!

All right.
Perhaps, sometimes we may chat on this board about some
funny or interest topics, like this. Don't you think ?

〉Only reading, only shadowing, only listening.
〉In, in, in!
〉Wow, I happen to say three times.
〉No speaking, no writing, no using.
〉No, no, no!

Now, don't be panic, ako.

〉But!
〉You gave me a good chance.
〉Today is a special day for me. Jan.29,2008? OK.

Yeah !! Exactly !!!

〉Well, I should move on to your main topic.

Okay. Come on, ako !

〉I don't know why.
〉I can't explain any.
〉But the only thing I can say about saying the same thing three times is that makes me like that, that I wrote above.

I got it.
You mean those three are not the same things but if you describe
three things sequently, like a series of words, there seems to
be some sort of compelling stuff, right ?

〉Then I'm waiting for someone who can tell more about this topic.

All right.
I'm looking forward to, too.

〉Thank you, Dora.

My pleasure.

〉This is a wonderful chance for me to write English, ummm, wait,
〉to use English, ummm, wait, wait,
〉something different..........
〉ahhhhh.........yes, to communicate!
〉To communicate with a real person in English!

Yup!
That's the reason for me too, writing on this board.

Now I'm afraid... next might be your turn. (Grinning...)

Aha-ha-ha.
This joke should be placed on the other side.

But I'm certainly looking forward to the next occasion to
chat with you.

See you.

Hi Dora, ako
I'm Hisako.

I don't remember much what my kid said when he was little.
When he wanted to say something to me, he began with "あのね うーんとね それでね".
Isn't it three words?
Most of the time he couldn't talk to on and on.
I believe he might forget what he wanted to say.

I think three is a magic number for people.
But I don't know why.
There are many three around the world.
For example

MOURI's three arrows lesson
One arrow is easy to break.
But we have three arrows here. Why don't you try?
This is what the lord (MOTONARI MOURI) asked his sons.

The third planet of the solar system is the earth.

What is RGB?
It's the three primary colors.
Red, Green and Blue.

Three major nutrients
protein, carbohydrates and fat.

The Olympics medals are gold, silver and bronze.

The three monkeys.
not to see, not to hear, not to tell.

When I suggest solution for my customers, I make three plans.
Most of customers are pleased that they can choose the plan.
On my experience three is the best.
Two is too little. Four is too much.

Maybe three is an important number for all people.
Even children feel it.

See you!

P.S
I changed this articles title.
First one is "Maybe tree is a magic number."

I laugh at my article title.
I wanted to write THREE.
But I wrote TREE!!!!!
Why did I make such a mistake?

Hi, Hisako, this is ako.
(It is very funny, your name has my name(^^).
(hisako --> his-ako. Who is this "he"? (^^)???)

Yes ! And we also have another magic 3.

1. No dictionary
2. Skip all I don't know
3. Throw the book away, if it's boring(笑)

We already have golden 3, hurray!

PS for PS

〉Why did I make such a mistake?

Your fingers are cute.(^^)

Hi ako.
It’s me His-ako!

〉Yes ! And we also have another magic 3.

〉1. No dictionary
〉2. Skip all I don't know
〉3. Throw the book away, if it's boring(笑)

〉We already have golden 3, hurray!

Oh! I had forgotten very important three!
I love this three.
When I was a student, I don’t know how to learn or study English.
Reading English books that you can read or want to read.
It is an easy way for me.
And my English skill has been up.
We are lucky to know this three.

〉〉Why did I make such a mistake?

〉Your fingers are cute.(^^)

Thanks.
But I prefer you say I have beautiful fingers.(It's joke.)
My fingers have made many mistakes.
I doubt my fingers never ever type without mistake.

See you!

Hi, Hisako.
This is Dora.

〉I don't remember much what my kid said when he was little.
〉When he wanted to say something to me, he began with "あのね うーんとね それでね".
〉Isn't it three words?

Yup! I think so.
Kids might be unable to feel themselves settled down without
those kinds of three words.

〉Most of the time he couldn't talk to on and on.
〉I believe he might forget what he wanted to say.

Un-Un. (Grinning...)

〉I think three is a magic number for people.
〉But I don't know why.
〉There are many three around the world.
〉For example

During reading next part, I was always smiling, sometimes
laughing loudly...

〉MOURI's three arrows lesson
〉One arrow is easy to break.
〉But we have three arrows here. Why don't you try?
〉This is what the lord (MOTONARI MOURI) asked his sons.

This idea makes sense. Ummm.

〉The third planet of the solar system is the earth.

I don't know whether this circumstance would be related or not.

# I would be scared if there were surely very deep relation,
# even though no one knows this important matter. (Grinning..)

By the way, I recently have read that you had been in scientific
course, on other board.
I'm also scientific person, originally.

The reason why we can chat like this way might relate to this
circumstance, I think.

〉What is RGB?
〉It's the three primary colors.
〉Red, Green and Blue.

Uh-Huh.
This should be one of the important things.

〉Three major nutrients
〉protein, carbohydrates and fat.

Fumu-Fumu.
I think it seems to indicate that most of human beings have
been regarding, from ancient period, the Best Three is major
potency and the rests are just minors.

〉The Olympics medals are gold, silver and bronze.

Yeah.
This is same as above.

〉The three monkeys.
〉not to see, not to hear, not to tell.

You finally got me !!
I can't stop myself laughing at the moment I saw this line.

〉When I suggest solution for my customers, I make three plans.
〉Most of customers are pleased that they can choose the plan.
〉On my experience three is the best.
〉Two is too little. Four is too much.

I know. I know how important it is.
To suggest alternate solutions must be very important in order
to acquire your customer's convince and trust.

Who knows they need three ways of alternate solution ?
But it's always three, even in my experience.

〉Maybe three is an important number for all people.
〉Even children feel it.

I think you're right.
Four is too much, two is too little.

〉See you!

Thank you !
Your sense certainly brought me much laughter.

〉P.S
〉I changed this articles title.
〉First one is "Maybe tree is a magic number."

Yes. Yes.
I saw your typo during my work.

At the first sight, I thought your article might be supposed
to mention about "Magic Tree House" books.

But after I began to read it, I totally forgot this idea,
since your article made me laugh.

〉I laugh at my article title.
〉I wanted to write THREE.
〉But I wrote TREE!!!!!
〉Why did I make such a mistake?

Okay.
It happens all the time.

Maybe your fingers were going to make it funnier.
Because we truly love the funniest things, don't we ?

See ya !

〉Hi, I'm Dora.

Hi, Dora , Hisako and ako.
This is Banana.

( Ohisasiburi desu. Hisako-san ,ako-san ,ogenki desuka? )

Anyway, I was interested in this topic.
So I googled by word of "Repeat Three Times".

I found a interesting web page, so I introduce it here.

It is a topic of "Rule of three (writing)" in Wikipedia

<Rule of three (writing)>-----------------------

The rule of three is a principle in English writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. From slogans ("Go, fight, win!") to films, many things are structured in threes. There were three musketeers, three little pigs, three billy goats Gruff, Goldilocks and the three bears, and Three Stooges.

A series of three is often used to create a progression in which the tension is created, then built up, then released. Adjectives are often grouped together in threes in order to emphasize an idea.
-<quote from [url:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)]--------

THREE is interesting, I think.

Bye-bye Banana=Baba Nanao

Hi, Banana.
This is Dora.

Thanks for informing your investigation from different side of
your point of view.

I didn't mean the series of different three phrases but
now I can recognize that there is some sense for repeating
three times, emphasizing the meaning of the words, clearing
the contours of words and, as a result, making it more
powerful or easy to convince someone or something much more,
even though these three are entirely different phrase.

I can also say that repeating the same things might be rather
simplified case.

Kids might feel it from their instincts because they're
usually extremely eager to be understood what their
wantings are.

〉Anyway, I was interested in this topic.
〉So I googled by word of "Repeat Three Times".

〉I found a interesting web page, so I introduce it here.

〉It is a topic of "Rule of three (writing)" in Wikipedia

It is so interesting that "Rule of three" is so famous
in European culture as written an article in Wikipedia.

Isn't it similar to Japanese four steps of
story-telling-fundamentals, "起承転結" ?

〉<Rule of three (writing)>-----------------------

〉The rule of three is a principle in English writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. From slogans ("Go, fight, win!") to films, many things are structured in threes. There were three musketeers, three little pigs, three billy goats Gruff, Goldilocks and the three bears, and Three Stooges.

〉A series of three is often used to create a progression in which the tension is created, then built up, then released. Adjectives are often grouped together in threes in order to emphasize an idea.
〉-<quote from [url:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)]--------

〉THREE is interesting, I think.

Now I think so.
Thanks.

See you !