University of Colorado researchers did a bit of science on a common assumption and found interesting information. Thus, the reason basic research still exists.
So, the question was: why do toddlers not want to do what they are told? The answer is a strange one. Apparently two and three year old kids aren’t slower versions of adults. It turns out they actually process information differently. They memorize everything but only think about what they memorized later. Sort of like living only in the present but plunging into the past periodically to get new information.
And forget about thinking about the future. They rarely do it. (But I already knew that, I’ve got a toddler I’m raising.)
See the article for examples.