"Shoot for the Stars to Get to the Moon"

My 11-year old son said to me today: "Mom, I need $30 tomorrow"

He said it in a very authoritative, almost demanding tone, like he would normally ask for a new book his teacher told him to read.

"Why do you need it?" I asked. "We're having a "fun day" at a school, everything costs money there!"

Remembering his last year's "fun day," I knew he'd probably want to buy some lemonade, snacks, and tickets to participate in games. So, as a good negotiator, I say, "I can't give you that much, but I'll give you $20."

My son looks at my with huge eyes and a big smile, and says, "Really?????? Thank you!!!!"

Then I realized he "played me", wanting to see how much [money] he can get away with. In other words, he didn't even expect I'd say "yes" to any amount, so he decided to start high.

He was shooting for the stars (the thirty bucks) to get to the moon (the twenty dollars I reluctanctly agreed to).

A negotiator in the making....