Nobody Knows
As soon as your children are able to talk, they will start asking you questions that you do not know the answer to. For example, “Daddy, why did you just end that sentence with a preposition?” or “What is a preposition?”
I think I have a pretty good strategy for these types of questions. I always answer, “Nobody knows.” This is better than “I don’t know,” which makes you look dumb. Nobody knows implies that even our greatest minds have not figured it out yet. This strategy also helps you take an educated guess. For example:
Q: “Daddy, why is the sky blue?”
A: “Nobody knows for sure. Maybe someday scientists will discover blue chunks of ice floating in space that reflect the sun’s rays.”
Q: “Daddy, I need help with my math homework. What is a coefficient?”
A: “Nobody knows. I think the math guys are still working that one out.”
Q: “Daddy, can God make a rock so big that even he could not lift it?”
A: “Nobody knows, go to bed and maybe God will tell you in your sleep.”
You might be asking yourself, “self, aren’t my children too smart for this trick to work?” I think you already know my answer to that one.
