I am a bad example unto my child

[drwex]

K is so my child. To wit:

The homework assignment is to look up a word in the dictionary. They are to write down (1) the word, (2) the page number on which the word was found, and (3) the word on the page that follows the target word.

K has at one point on his homework sheet the same word for (1) and (3). Initially I assume this is an error of haste - I did mention he was my child, right? - until I check the dictionary page and discover that, yes, the word has two completely separate entries in the dictionary. So, yes, he's technically correct that in this dictionary "meter" follows "meter". And, yes, he's technically correct that the homework assignment says to write down "the next word on the page", not the next different word, which is what I think the teacher wants.

I explain this to him, but agree that he can argue it out with his teacher. It is, really, not his fault that his teacher doesn't write clear enough instructions, right?

And then I find that he has a word which happens to be the LAST word on the page and he's left the 'next word' bit blank because hey, she did say "next word on the page". Before I can even finish my objection he's pointing out that I agreed to let him argue the FIRST one out with his teacher and he's willing to make this case as well.

Sigh. We are so doomed. On the plus side he'll make a hell of a contracts lawyer some day.

(Have I mentioned that I once got in trouble in grade school for answering a geography exam question "Where in the US is oil found" with "In the ground" rather than the intended answer of "Texas" or "Oklahoma"?)