As a teenager and young adult I was a prodigious lier. Since then I’ve reformed and I don’t lie to anyone, especially not L.

Time to face facts: your kids are almost definitely smarter than you think. I’m sorry if I’m the one that has to break it to you, but it’s true. No matter how smart you think they are I guarantee you they’re smarter. Above all of the other reasons this is why you shouldn’t lie to your kids — and the reason that you shouldn’t lie to adults as well if you really take the time to sit and think about it. The advantage you think you gained when you lied (and you didn’t — cause they’re not buying the shit you’re selling in the first place) will be short-lived. Eventually you’ll be discovered. And, once you’ve been discovered it will be doubly hard to regain the lost trust. And if L is any indication of children at large — they will hold a grudge longer than the Hatfields and the McCoys. This also happens to be a real-life version of the compound interest problems that you daydreamed through in 5th grade math until Mr. G threw a caulk-loaded eraser at you. At least you weren’t the kid that got his textbook thrown out the window, right? Ah, public school in the 90's.

Anyway, I’ve made it a point to never lie to L and you should do the same with your progeny. This also extends to things that you don’t really know the answer to — don’t just make that shit up it’ll do more damage that way.

Think of it as a research assistant instead of a Facebook machine.

Take the time to look it up with your kid and help them tie it to concepts that they already understand. You have a damn supercomputer in your pocket — use it for more than looking at Instagram and Facebook in the bathroom. Learning together will make everyone a little smarter and teach the tyke one of the most important lessons that you can: If you don’t know the answer to something it’s OK to look it up.

I know that the temptation is great to just make up some kind of fantastic, insane answer involving giant sea monsters that suck all of the earth’s water into their stomachs twice a day to the question of “But why are there tides?” but trust me the real answer (involving physics on the relationship of the magnetic fields of distant bodies) is just as interesting. And for those of you that say you “just know things” and “can’t explain it” then you really don’t know it.

Having a kid is like having the greatest bullshit detector ever with you all the time. If you can’t explain the concept to a four year old then you’re probably relying a little to hard on brute truths and need to go back and review it yourself. Then you’ll be better prepared when a little one asks how gasoline makes a car move (real query from L last weekend, led to a really interesting conversation on the mechanics of combustion). And if in doubt — The Great Courses are always there for you.