Allowance

"I'm going to pay you to feed the pets," I told little kid. It's his job normally, without pay, but I thought financial incentive would get more consistent results with less complaining.

"How much?"

"Let's do a package deal, like, throw another chore in there, all for one price." 

"Like what?"

"Like the dishes?" Another sporadically accomplished chore. 

"No deal. I just want to know what I'm being paid for the pets. Let's start with that." 

He is so strategic. I hadn't really thought this far ahead because I thought going from free to not free would be good enough.

"What do you think is fair?" I asked, both because I was curious and because I had no idea. 

Big Kid chimed in, "I'm thinking $1.50 a week for that." 

"Bro!" little kid hissed at him. 

"Five dollars? Two dollars?" Big Kid continued to guess. 

"Three dollars," he said, with a firmness I admire.

 

"I was thinking two dollars," I replied.

"Three dollars." 

"Two dollars." 

"$2.50," he said, with a waggle of his eyebrows and a smirk. 

"Deal."

I suck at negotiating but he's so cute. And a better negotiator.