Morning Negotiations with a 9 year old

He finally arrives down stairs dressed for school.   He eats the egg, starts on the Malt o Meal hot cereal... and this is where the boardroom negotiations begin.

 #1 "This has no flavor"

I try to fix it up with a little more flavor-- he doesn't like and heads to his room.

Get him back downstairs but says he will not be eating the 

"toxic slime".   I feed him Honey Bunches of Oats instead. 

 (you need to know when to fold)   

#2  Does not want to go to school and proceeds into a tirade about how it is a waste of his six hours!  The recesses are short...blah, blah, blah.   

"Oh, then you would miss your field trip today", I say.

-- blabber about waste of time ceases.

# 3 --Decides not to wear his new shoes because they make him look stupid.  

Frankly, I can't find his old shoes that are so, so worn out. 

 I vaguely remember taking them to the trash but rethinking that they may come in handy for a muddy adventure.  

I don't know where they ended up.   

He searches the house, 

I search the house. 

 I go into negotiations- 

how cool the new shoes are.

 (they are really cool- some hiking, running, cross training shoes that Jordan and Scott like).  He is convinced and gets one foot in, however smashes the back top down so it pokes into his ankle... takes them off saying they are uncomfortable and make him look stupid.  I can not convince him otherwise.  

We are back to looking for his old shoes.      

I say-- just wear my flip-flops.  

"You can't wear them to school!"  

Then wear your church shoes.  

"Then I would look MEGA stupid!"  

Wear my shoes (we are the same size).  Tries them on.  

 "These look stupid"  

You are right they do and look at your new shoes, they look different then these, they are so cool.   

(Are you following my negotiation tactics?)   

He soon comes to the realization that the new shoes are a good alternative to his other options.  Shoes on without further incident.

# 4  Not going to wear the rain jacket.  He hates the texture-- . 

 "But it is raining and you have a field trip today" 

 This one takes less time to work out.  He is convinced that it will be cool to wear it in the rain.

# 5  But as he walks outside he chastises me that it is barely raining and not enough to soak him.  I continue walking to the car with a "you never know, there could be a cloud burst and you would get drenched!"  He thinks about that and gets in the car.     As I we drive to school he reminds me never to feed him 

toxic slime again!  

 I agree. 

 

We pull in the school drive-- 10 minutes late-- all I am thinking is

 Hallelujah, he is here!  

Freedom for 6 hours!  

Hope his teacher has a good day.