The Weirdest Girl of All

Tonight at dinner, 9-Year-Old Son shared with us that the boys in his class were smarter than the girls.

“Really?” Husband and I asked. “Do you think that’s true?”

“Yep,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s true.”

“What’s your evidence?” we pressed, ‘cause we’re those kind of parents.

“Well, when the boys raise their hands, they’re always right.”

“And what about the girls?”

“They don’t raise their hands that much.”

“Hmmm . . . did you know that there have been studies done that show that boys raise their hands more often than girls? Then they get called on more frequently.” That’s Husband talking. He’s a Harvard grad, so it’s all about the research.

“That’s right, Hon.” (Sometimes I call Husband “Hon.”) As the person at the table with the advanced degree in Education, I felt the need to validate this statement. “Son, the next time you see it happening, you should say, ‘The girls are awfully silent. I wonder what they think about this.’” It’s fun to teach your children subversion! It's best to couple it with self-defense classes.

“Yeahhh . .  . I don’t know,” Son slurred and tilted his head skeptically. “To be honest all the girls are kind of . . . weird.”  

“Excuse me?” The Shark in Shark Girl came out and gave the death stare to 9-Year Old. “Girls are weird?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“I’m a girl. Am I weird?” This was one of those set up questions. There’s only one right answer.

“Mom! You’re like the weirdest girl of all! You do jiu jitsu!”