I’ve always had the mindset that I should not raise my children to grow up to be just like me. I think that is a humble and wise concept, don’t you? How many times have you heard this saying on the movies, “Young man, someday you will grow up to be just like your father!” Well, my Dad never encouraged me to be a painter, and I won’t be encouraging Joel to be a salesman. However, sometimes, I can’t help it. I haven’t done a thing and yet the kid is just a natural born salesman.

Tonight at the dinner table, I looked over at Joel, who was not eating his dinner once again, and gave him the evil eye. If you don’t know what I am referring to, wait until your a parent. I then said, “Jooooellll, let’s stop playing with your new balloon, using your chair as a merry go round, and writing your dirty fingers all over our clean chairs and start eating your wonderful plate of food!” He slowly began attempting to eat his food but did not finish before Joli and me. After I finished, I began doing the dishes when I noticed Joel was not quite done nor even trying to eat. I reminded him again to continue eating when he replied, “Help Daddy!” I thought he really wanted my help, so I walked over to “help” put the food in his mouth with the nifty fork. He then took the first bite and said, “Daddy take bite! Daddy take bite!” He grabbed the fork and held it out for me to eat. I quickly refused and said, “No Thank you!” He then took another bite and said, “Daddy take bite!” and gave me a big smile as if to say, “You know you want some of this healthy food!” After the 3rd or 4th sales attempt, he came to the conclusion that we were “All Done!” He tried so hard to help HIM finish the food by me eating it for him. He’s been trying this salesman approach to a lot of things that he doesn’t want to do the past few weeks thinking he might sell a few suckers on his concepts. It is quite an interesting technique.