You’ll Definitely Understand These 4 Struggles If Your Kids Are Smarter Than You

At this point, it’s almost a cliche to say that every parent thinks their first kid is a genius. New parents can’t wait to tell you how their wee lil’ Einstein is totally crushing peek-a-boo and is on track to dominate patty-cake.

Then after a while — and certainly after a second or third kid — it all kinda evens out. Mom and dad realize that pretty much all kids can do the itsy-bitsy spider and whether they do it at two months or five months isn’t really all that important. They’re making progress and more or less on track.

But for some of us, like Kay and Mike Bennett, in FOX’s new family comedy, Outmatched, the “track” doesn’t exist. Because our kids have already jumped that track and hit the gas on Whiz Kid Highway. Instead of a block tower, they’re building a robot that can solve Rubik’s cube in under 10 seconds. Instead of the English alphabet, they’re learning Katakana. Counting to 10 in Spanish? Aww, that’s cute.

Hang on! This is NOT a brag. Having a mini-genius isn’t all that great. It’s cute when they know their multiplication tables by kindergarten. Less cute when they’re asking questions like “What happens to matter when it falls into a black hole?” at the dinner table.

Think your kids may secretly be smarter than you are? See if you recognize any of these very real struggles:

You’re the one who needs flashcards

Most of us can name the 50 states pretty easily, right? Sure, it may take a while, but we’ll eventually get there. State capitals? Maybe not. Doubling a recipe? Piece of cake. Dividing it by a third? Please no. When your kid starts to rattle off basic facts that you forgot a loonnng time ago, it’s time for flashcards. For YOU.

You’re lost without your smartphone

Let’s be honest, this applies to just about anybody these days. It’s hard to recall what life was like before you had the sum total of all human learning sitting with the crumbs at the bottom of your purse. But for parents whose kids are incredibly smart, a smartphone is even more essential. When your kid asks if you liked The Iliad more than The Odyssey, the phone is your only lifeline. You can pretend you’ve got to send a text while you’re really doing a quick Google search to find out what the hell he’s talking about. But be careful! If they catch you, you’ll get the heavy “I feel sorry for you” sigh.

You’ve thrown it over to your spouse more than once

Visit any moms’ group chat around the holidays and you’ll see the inevitable discussions about what to do when a kid starts to wonder if Santa is real. But what do you do if your 5-year-old has already calculated that Santa is a myth because it’s physically impossible given the laws of space and time? You may have said something like, “Hmm. Maybe that’s something to ask your dad about?” Yes, you will receive a look of scalding betrayal from your husband. But hey, it’s every man for himself when you’ve got a little brainiac.

You’ve seriously wondered if your dumbness could slow them down

When your kid’s brain is basically running circles around yours, you’ve probably had a moment when you questioned if your intellectual shortcomings might actually hinder your little rocket surgeon’s progress in the world. Welp, there’s good news! Do I actually understand all these numbers and squiggles? Absolutely not. But! It basically confirms that less smart parents tend to have smarter kids. Yay, us!

The good news is your super smart kids don’t need you to be mental giants. (Phew, that’s a relief.) They need to feel loved and valued for who they are. And hey, if they can put your household budget in a spreadsheet or figure out a 12% discount? The struggles are totally WORTH IT.

Outmatched takes an honest and hilarious look at every parent’s worst fear — that they’re “ruining” their kids. When you have children with the type of gifts that can change the world, the pressure is really on. Raise them right, and these kids could cure cancer, stop global warming or invent time travel. But screw it up, and you could unleash three new super villains into the universe — good luck! Starring Jason Biggs and Maggie Lawsom, Outmatched premieres Thursday, January 23 on FOX. We know the parenting struggle is real! Join the official Outmatched Parenting Facebook Group today!