Deal or No Deal...

“Deal or no Deal”, it is more then a TV show it is my son’s favorite pastime. When my son wants to do something, or get some toy he can’t live without or have a whole cake for desert and my wife and I become the “Evil Parent” and say “NO” we become the next lucky contestant on “Let’s make a deal”….

So when my son gets an incorrect answer to his request to go to bed he becomes the host of this great show of skill and negotiation. We start off with offering us two or three “choices”, which amazingly are all choices that he benefits from such as he can watch 5 more TV shows, or we can read 4 more chapters to him or worse case he can watch 5 more shows and be read 4 more chapters to him, deal?

If the answer from the unwilling parent is “No” then the real negotiation begins, now he doubles his initial request and again goes for the sale with a firm “deal”? If Dad doesn’t give in and says no then he takes his case to Mom, which is considered “Arbitration” in most courts….

All I want to know is where do toddlers learn the art of negotiation, is there pre-school curriculum on the art of litigation and how to make persuasive arguments that your parents can not counter that we as parents are not aware of? Why is it I can’t my son to understand that he needs to cover his mouth when he sneezes but somehow he is capable of negotiating union contracts at age 5?