The Cost of Success

I haven't reported previously on Sebastian's spelling successes. This is largely due to the fact that he is simply a spelling genius. He has had 7 spelling tests and in all but one he has scored a perfect 10 out of 10. The only week he missed this perfect score was the week he cracked his head open and we spent Monday evening in the A&E which had a knock on affect for the remainder of the week. Although I have to say it proved a point about proper preparation leading to excellent performance. What a nightmare mother I am!!!

This afternoon's success somehow got tarnished.....Seb informed me of his spelling success. We did our usual celebration and I gave my usual speech about how proud I was of him and how his hard work all week paid off yet again - blah blah blah! Then he informed me that I owed him £1. I asked him what for. He said for the perfect score on his spelling test. I replied that I had never paid him for his previous perfect performances. He said that I owed him £1 for each of those as well. I said we don't pay retrospectively. He said you do now (not sure he understood the term retrospective). I said that we don't pay for school work. And then came the kicker. He started his negotiation with the fact that one of his mate's mother's is paying her son (his mate) to do well on the test. I quickly changed the subject and started talking about the fish and chips he had for lunch. OK, I ask you, what is my negotiating position?