Kristen Bell Lies About Her Kids' Birthday For The Funniest Reason

The news seems quite determined to make us feel like we're in the Bad Place right now, so maybe what we truly need is a few minutes of Kristen Bell. Specifically Kristen Bell discussing how she lies to her kids because she is a human mother. (And look! To the left — Kristin Bell in a glittery turtleneck.)

On Wednesday's Today, Savannah Guthrie informed Bell that she was voted by some website the "Most Honest Celebrity Parent in America," whatever that means. (Bell immediately quipped, "That's 'cause I'm an over-sharer.") But to test out that title, Guthrie and Hoda Kotb asked Bell to cop to some less-than-pristine parenting practices.

Through this little quiz, we learned that Bell has let daughters Lincoln and Delta wear dirty clothes — "Of course!" If she drops food on the grass, she doesn't hesitate to give it to her kids to eat. But if they have a wet diaper, she will not postpone changing it, even if she's tired. She doesn’t compromise on their comfort.

Then, when asked if she lies to her kids about what time it is, she not only admitted to that (because at 5 and 3, they can't tell time!) but added a bonus revelation: "I've also lied to them about when their birthday is," she said. "If it's, like, a Wednesday and we can't celebrate and we're both working late, then — guess what? — your birthday is on Saturday. They don't know!"

At 5, eldest Lincoln might catch on to that little trick soon, but it's smart to keep up those white lies while you still can. Let's just hope they don't look up their mom's old TV interviews when they're teenagers and in that phase where they want to prove their parents ruin everything. (Or maybe Bell's and Dax Shepard's brilliant parenting skills will ward off that phase entirely?)

Though she was ostensibly on the show to promote the season 3 premiere of The Good Place on Thursday night, Bell also said she was in New York to speak at the United Nations General Assembly about a project that will make the world better for girls who aren't lucky enough to have such an "honest" celebrity mother. Bell is the first global advocate for the new UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund, which partners with women's organizations around the world who work to promote peace in their own countries.

To celebrate the fund, Bell flipped the switch that will light up the Empire State Building magenta and blue on Thursday night. Maybe we're getting closer to being a Good Place after all?