Negotiations

Sophia has become quite the little negotiator lately. After lunch today she asked if she could watch TV and I said no because she had already watched some this morning. She started screaming and crying and then came back a minute later and said, "I know. How about instead of watching TV, I watch Ice Age: The Meltdown." When I said no to that she began screaming and crying again. I let her cry for a couple minutes while I finished cleaning up and then said, "Sophia, do you ever get things you want by screaming and crying?" She immediately stopped crying, laughed and said, "actually, no!" I couldn't help but laugh at that. Then I asked her why this time would be different and she said, "but I wanted it to be different this time!" I couldn't believe her.

She must be learning her negotiating tricks from Ben. We went to Hom Furniture yesterday to buy a much needed comfortable couch. We found a couch we liked a lot and while Sophia, Caleb and I enjoyed some free fresh-baked cookies in the kids' play area, Ben talked to the salesman. He ended up getting the guy to take 38% off the price it was marked. His technique was much different than Sophia's. He mostly stood there without saying much - just throwing in an occasional, "My wife would kill me if I spent that much on a couch." The guy just talked himself down. I was impressed. Unfortunately, it takes 4 months to get the couch in because it was a custom order! Ben figures the wait will just make it seem like we are getting a free couch when it finally comes since we paid for it up front!

As for Sophia's negotiating skills, there's only one way that I am able to spend this much time posting on the blog. She is happily watching Ice Age. I finally gave in and told her she could watch part of it. Of course, she just turned to me a minute ago and said, "Mommy, I'm not watching part of this, you're letting me watch the whole thing." When I said no she wasn't she just smiled and said, "yes, I am." I better go enforce at least one of the things I told her!