I’ve come to the realization that I have somehow gotten the rap in this household as being the less intelligent of the two adults. I’m not sure how this is. Maybe it’s because I’m so goofy, maybe it’s because when I don’t know something I actually say I don’t know instead of making up an answer that sounds like it should be a good answer in make believe world like my husband tends to do.
The problem is my kids ask questions about fractions, volcanic action, and Jesus whereas most of my knowledge revolves around anything you might see on Animal Planet and/or The Holocaust.
All the experts encourage you to tell your kids you don’t know the answer to something if you really don’t know it. It’s okay if our kids know that we don’t actually know everything and maybe they feel a little validation when they realize what they’re learning really is difficult…not even mom knows!
The experts don’t mention the eye rolls that might ensue when your child is looking for help on her homework and you reply with, “Gosh, I really don’t know! That’s a great question!”
The experts don’t mention the huffiness your child might respond with when they ask you if you can “just Google it then”.
But the biggest slap in the face for me is that the children truly believe their father is better equipped to answer questions that require an intelligent response. They will now bypass me altogether if he is home or they’ll SAVE the question for his arrival if he’s not.
Him.
The same man who told me he thought our daughter might be allergic to chicken nuggets. Not chicken. Not breading. Not gluten. Not oil. No…the entire chicken nugget. Our daughter, the only child in the world who can apparently eat everything on the planet except…a chicken nugget.
They go to HIM!?!
The other night while sitting down to do homework Laina turned to me, “Mom? Are these lines perpendicular or intersecting??”
And I was all, “Oh! Ahem…well that sounds familiar! Intersecting lines are when lines cross…so perpendicular must mean, well let’s see here…”
“Never mind I’ll ask Daddy. He’s the smart one in the group.”
And there it was.
She actually said the words.
I’d feel offended if I weren’t so busy feeling relieved.
Abby says
Well… now… just hold the phone a minute! Perpendicular lines intersect, so what kinda question even is that?!? I’m curious as to what “the smart one in the group.” had for an answer.
My husband is the more book smart in the group, but if my kids have a question on homework, they usually ask me because I’ll explain it in about a fourth of the time he does. They also choose me when they need to throw up.
Leslie says
I, too, think the intersecting and perpendicular lines question is a tricky one because technically, perpendicular lines intersect. My daughter is doing this in Math right now too :-)
BUT, perpendicular lines form right angles whereas strictly intersecting lines form random angles.
Somehow, I also got the wrap as the less intelligent parent and it’s simply not true. But the more I try to argue against it, the less intelligent I look in most cases, so I just have to suck it up and know better.
Chris Carter says
I love that picture so much… it’s absolutely BREATHTAKING!!!
And this post? It is EXACTLY what I experience ALL. THE. TIME. I would be offended too, but like you? I am relieved as well.
Lets just let the dads do all that ‘academic’ work answering all those intellectual questions… and we will stick to what we know best. Being a mom in all the right places. :)
Shell says
Ouch. I had to convince my oldest that his dad really could help him with his homework. Maybe I’ll start saying I don’t know so the homework falls to hubs.
Betsy says
HA! That is funny!! Sounds like something my kid would say though lol
Andrea says
When he’s home, I like to defer to my husband for every question shot my way. You know, so he can practice being an oracle, weatherman, math wizard, and professional in everything. AND Google. All other times I encourage them to figure it out themselves. Which mainly just means: I don’t know. Google it.