During the last school holidays my girls had some friends over for the day, not once did they ask to watch tv, nor whine about how bored they were. Instead they badgered me into letting them make lemonade and letting them set up a stall out on the street to sell it and the friendship bracelets they had been busy making all morning.
My usual bah humbug approach was to keep putting them off until the novelty of the idea wore off (I didn't like the idea of them all being out on the street unsupervised and didn't fancy sitting out there all afternoon myself). I was outnumbered well and truly and my laconic attitude no match for their enthusiasm. I disappeared outside for maybe 5 minutes to hang out the washing and when I returned the lemons had all been squeeezed by the oldest and youngest and the 2 middle ones were upstairs making their signs.
I tried to counter every tactic with a lame excuse but was met at every turn with too well thought out responses and some pretty good business plans. Every 5 minutes they kept coming back asking if I had made the sugar syrup yet. They had Googled it and were losing patience with me and if I didn't come to the party they were about to attempt it themselves. They had planned every detail from what they would use as a table to how much they would charge and how it would be executed. There was no stopping them!
Now it was a battle of the wills, me not wanting to sit with them out on the street for the best part of the afternoon and them wanting to have a go and make some money. I was determined to test their commitment and asked for one more delay so I could at least have a shower. They promised not to sneak off outside whilst I did and when I finished there they all were waiting at the door with their pop up shop ready to take on the neighbourhood.
They were out there for 2 hours at least, they had a few customers and then when it all got quiet they made up their own jingle and sang it at the top of their voices. It worked!! even enticing the boy across the road out to purchase a bracelet.
I was very happily defeated and they were ecstatic with the $5 each they made on the day, now I just need to explain to them COGS and Creditors!
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