Over green beers, Jennifer Garner tells Jimmy Fallon how kids outsmart their parents

When the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, Ben Affleck wept with joy, wife Jennifer Garner told Jimmy Fallon over green St. Patrick's Day beers. "Seriously, it was like the greatest moment of his life," she added. "It actually was, though. I mean, I have birthed babies for him, and I still have never seen just the pure joy" on Affleck's face. Meanwhile Garner was trying to put their children to sleep as quickly as possible, she explained.
Which got Fallon — father of two young girls — and Garner (two girls and a boy) talking parenting. Since Garner's kids are older, Fallon asked for advice. "Enjoy that," she said of the Fallon household's sisterly tranquility. "Take pictures." Watch out for sub rosa pinching, she added, and beware: "They can get clever." To illustrate, Garner told a story about a daughter who got mom to carry her by insisting she was a mermaid. "They're smarter than you are, so just get ready for that," Garner warned. Words to drink green beer by. —Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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