Learning The Art of Turning a Negotiation Into a Debate and Win It..... From a 4 Year Old

Cerise is proud to be a "big girl" and she doesn't appreciate being referred to as a baby. She has always been exhilarated by the prospect of getting out of kindy and moving on to a "big school", Macleans Primary, come October. She can't stop gushing about it.

But today's conversation with mummy may have forced her to change her plans...

CERISE: Mummy, I'm finished! (a loud announcement coming from the toilet)

MUMMY: (wiping Cerise's bum-bum) Cerise, from now on you will have to learn to wipe your bum-bum when you do poos, okay?

CERISE: (sheepishly) Nooooooooh! You can wipe my bum-bum! (giggles)

MUMMY: But you should do it yourself when you're in school.

CERISE: Mrs. Alison wipes my bum-bum! (stating matter of factly)

MUMMY: Oh but when you go to Macleans Primary, no one will do that for you.

CERISE: (sounding very concerned) Oh? I don't wanna go there anymore.

MUMMY: (trying to sound reassuring) It's okay. I'll teach you how to wipe your bum-bum.

CERISE: But I don't wanna go to Macleans anymore. I don't wanna go to big school. (sounding more distressed and determined that big school is not a very good idea after all)

MUMMY: But you're a big girl now, you know that. And big girls go to big schools. Big girls at Macleans Primary wipe their bum-bums. (sticking to the facts here as you should when dealing with irate clients - negotiation skills 101)

CERISE: But I don't wanna go to a big school. (very sad and tone shifting from stern to weak)

MUMMY: Well, you can't stay at kindy any longer. (trying to shut down my opponent this time having realised that our negotiation has turned into a debate)

CERISE: Okay. But I don't wanna go to a big school..... (short moment of silence, thinking) I wanna go to a medium school. Okay, mummy?

... I rest my case.