It’s a sad day when you realize that your child is smarter than you.  That shouldn’t happen for years, at least until they are teenagers right?  By then you expect to lose your brains and that your children will actually acquire a larger, more intelligent one or at least that is what they’d like you to believe.  But that isn’t the case in my house.  My youngest child who is only ten years old has suddenly outwitted me. 

            I didn’t even see it coming, although I should have, shouldn’t I?  When did I lose my brain?  My father would say that it was the day I decided I wanted to have children.  But that doesn’t seem right.  I was just in my late twenties; surely it was still working quite well then?  Maybe it was the day that I delivered my children.  Maybe in all that pushing and straining, I ruptured something in my brain that affected my thoughts.  Or worst still, maybe I pushed out a portion of my brain as I was pushing out my child?  Whatever the case, it is clearly apparent that I have lost a step and my children are gaining one.

            It is most distressing when you find this out.  Of course my children have been keeping the fact that they are smarter than me quiet for years.  It was only the other day that I found out the truth.

            My youngest son came to me just before bed and said, “Hey, I lost a tooth. You might want to put a dollar under my pillow.” 

            To which I replied, “That’s not my job, that’s the Tooth Fairy’s job.”

            He gave me a sly smile at my response and said, “Whatever,” but continued on to his room.

            The next morning, when he woke up I made sure to ask him if the Tooth Fairy came last night. 

            He smiled and said, “Okay mom, you can give up the Tooth Fairy.  I know that it’s you.”

            “How do you know that?” I asked, but I could feel a little nervousness in my response.  Maybe I hadn’t waited long enough last night before tucking the money under his pillow?  Maybe he saw me and hadn’t said anything?

            “Well, don’t get mad at me, but,” he replied with a smile that was both proud and knowing, “I did a little test to see if there really was a Tooth Fairy.  I really lost my tooth two days ago.  I put it under my pillow the first night without telling you that I lost my tooth.  The Tooth Fairy didn’t show up.  So, I told you last night that I lost my tooth and I placed my tooth under my pillow.  That’s when the money showed up.  So you see, I know you’re the Tooth Fairy.”
            So how do you respond to that if you’re the parent?  And when exactly did he become that much smarter to figure out how to flush out the truth?

            His smile widen as he continued on, “Oh, and I also know there is no such thing as Santa, either.”

            Well, maybe he’s not as smart as me . . .