My son is only six- years- old, so he's far too young to be pigeonholed into some predestined career path. Still, even at such a young age, he is presenting clues that say he could be president of the United States or he could be the next Bernard Madoff. Neither of which is particularly pleasing due to the particular skill set my son exhibits on a frequent basis.

I would not call my son a cheat. That's much too harsh and quite unfair to label a kid with that moniker. However, the little guy isn't afraid to change the rules of a game midstream to his advantage. He's naturally competitive and likes to win like everyone else, but I guess I haven't done a very good job explaining that it's better to win fair and square than just to win.

The prime example is a game my son and his two sisters play when I'm driving them around town. If one of my kids spots a red Volkswagen Beetle, then he or she screams, "Punchbuggy Red!" If it's blue, then "Punchbuggy Blue" and so on. The one that spots the most punchbuggies by the end of the day wins. My son got tired of losing and started calling out punchbuggies telepathically or at least that's how my daughters and I explained it, because despite the fact no one ever heard him call out punchbuggy, he vehemently (sometimes to the point of tears) insisted he did.

Another example is the lock the doors game. He always asked me to lock the doors of the car when we are leaving home. This got annoying for me because while I was trying to make sure I didn't dump my cup of water in my lap or back over various toys in the driveway, he asked me constantly to do something with a free hand I just didn't have. So I started trying to lock the doors before he asked, and it turned into a competition. When I started beating him regularly, he changed the rules. The first change was the game was to be played only on the way to school. Then came only on Mondays or Wednesdays or any other day I forgot, and he could win.

He also changes the rules of H.O.R.S.E. If he can't make the shot, then that shot is not allowed. So far we've ruled out lay ups, shots behind the backboard, and anything involving a swish.

And that's not all.

He starts races down the stairs when he's already halfway down, and I'm standing at the top. He claims never to have been involved in any race where he's losing, unless, of course, his victim falls for it, slows down, and allows him to pass. He claims bathroom emergencies to get out of wrestling holds. He "accidentally" bumps the checkers board when he senses defeat. He announces proudly that he is the winner in a game I had no idea I was playing in the first place. "I win the sitting on my hands prize!"

He's either brilliant or slightly deranged, which makes him an excellent candidate for Washington or Wall Street either way.