Bargaining

I'm not sure when this first started, but it happens often in our house now.

Dylan has learned how to bargain, and she's made it an art form.

Case in point, today at lunch she starts rambling something to me from the kitchen. I get up to try to figure out what she's saying and ask her to repeat it. Again, I still don't understand. There are two reasons I don't get it. First, she is mumbling, and second, her mouth is full of food. I'm guessing the mouthful is the reason for the mumbling.

After she swallows, she states her request again. She wants a treat if she eats all of her lunch. Isaac mumbles his concurrence with this request by repeating the word "treat" three times. I then tell them that if they both eat all their lunch, I will in fact give them a treat.

Dylan then wants to know what kind of treat. I tell her I'll think about it. She comes back with, "How about a popsicle." I return, "How about a candy treat." I'm thinking this has to be a great compromise. She gets candy, and I don't have to clean up two popsicle-sticky kids. It's a win-win.

Of course, Dylan want to know immediately, "What kind of candy treat."

Are you kidding? When did she learn how to bargain for the kind of treat she wanted? When did eating your lunch become a bargain? Or any meal for that matter? When did it become a bargain to temper the temper tantrums? Or to get dressed? Or to go to bed? Everything is a bargaining tool these days.

And Dylan is a master craftsman.