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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Negotiations

Maybe being a kid in a large family isn't always a walk on the beach. They have to share more, they don't get as much one-on-one time with their folks, maybe there's even less money to go around.

But it has its advantages. There's a certain skill-set that is built when one grows up surrounded by sibs.

Take the conversation I overheard a couple nights ago. Julie was at a friend's house and twilight was descending. Time to get Annabelle into the barn, but that was Julie's job (and let me just add, the most hated job in this household).....

Me: Hey guys? Julie's not here, so someone's going to need to take Annabelle.
Daniel: Not me. I helped her this morning b/c you wanted eggs.
Rosie: I don't want to!
James: I just took two big bags to Mom's car!
Patrick: Look, let's figure this out. How 'bout if we each chip in one star.
(I give out stars for chores, etc, that they can trade in for late bedtime, extra screens, etc)
Rosie: Plus whoever does it, we can do their chore for them.
Me: And I wouldn't mind sweetening the pot with a pack of Trident.
Daniel: OK, I'll do it. I have dishwasher.
Patrick: OK, thanks. We'll all empty the dishwasher for you and you get six stars and a pack of gum.


Done.

Julie actually ended up coming home a little earlier than planned, so she just emptied the d/w instead of the others doing it.

Now come on. In a world of me first, gimmme-gimme-gimme, you can't tell me these kids aren't going to have an advantage in understanding the art of negotiation.




















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9 comments:

  1. Yo.
    That's a sweet story. I was the youngest of many, and there's certain handy skills, ways of thinking, I have now that come from that. It's good stuff.

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  2. Yo.

    Tee-hee.

    You said it, Kim. It's good stuff....

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  3. Neat!
    At first they seem so selfish (talking about my kids) and then they go and really learn to sacrifice for each other. My only large family regret is that I didn't get to grow up that way!!

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  4. Jessica I LOVE LOVE LOVE the picture of your kids on the porch (I assume they're yours). Very vintage looking. Nothing like a large family, right?

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  5. Wow, that is so sweet. Were you listening inconspicuously once the negotiating started? #TALU

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  6. That's nice that they didn't gripe about it and thought up a solution they all agreed upon instead. I like the family picture. :)

    #TALU

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  7. It is very sweet. It seems like an awesome way to grow up. I was an only child, which I don't think I minded terribly at the time but reading stories like that makes me almost nostalgic, in a funny way, towards something I never really had. It's a lovely story.

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  8. Sound like you have one super group of kids.
    Visiting from TALU

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  9. Great story, Anne, and thanks for hosting TALU.

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