Learning the art of Negotiation

from the little girlie at its best. The courses I attended at work for this soft skill sprang through the window as Adi is practically challenging me with this for anything and everything I want her to do. Anytime I ask request her highness to carry out some task she would say this with a whatever attitude “OK here is the deal” Let me clarify that by task I meant eating her dinner, drinking milk, cleaning up toys and finishing her homework and not anything related to helping me. Ok I agree that eating her food is a big help to me. Here goes the latest deal

Adi: Amma, we have a spelling test at school
Me: Wow !!! that’s great. Did your teacher ask you to prepare at home? May be I will ask appa to give you a surprise if you score full marks
Adi: Surprise? Ok then here is the deal
Me: (Squeezing my mind with what this time?)
Adi: If I score full marks appa can give me a big surprise and If I try my best appa can give me a little surprise.. ok?

how can I say no to this? Isn’t this a double-win situation for her? what is the limit for “trying her best”? From then on the talk at home was only about the options for the big and little surprise that we were about to forget the source for the surprise. She would have finished the test by now. It is not the matter of whether she is going to get the surprise or not it is the matter of whether it is big or little. We will get to know today evening… Phew I have a lot to learn from her…

It doesn’t stop with Negotiation yesterday evening we made vanilla color cup cakes as we were hibernating at home due to snow storm… While Adi was contemplating about what to say M said right on my face that it is sugary (No I am not blaming him I am happy as long as he says something when I ask him the nth time rather than being silent). All she said was “Mommy its not that I don’t like ’em but I don’t feel like eating it now”… Only when I promised her at bed time that I am asking so I can improve myself the next time and I will not feel bad about what she says she slowly said “You know mommy actually I didn’t like the cup cakes but I know that you tried your best..” Needless to say there was a lump in my throat and I hugged my sweat heart…

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