A Future In Sales?

Tonight, the kids were fighting, as usual.  The primary reason for their quarrels is that Scott must always win.  He wants to be right, to be first, to have more.  Always.  Over the past several months Jane has begun to fight back.  She's sick of it.  Who could blame her?

They were about to take a bath and Matt asked who wanted to go first.  We stopped giving them joint baths because it just gets crazy.  The way we do it here, whoever goes second gets the coveted longer bath.  But Scott has a hard time deciding which way he wins.  Is it going first or having a longer bath?  Tough decision.

Jane wanted to go first so then he screamed that he should go first and Matt let him (because he was already in the bathroom and all this jockeying is so exhausting).  While in the bath, which he requested first and won, Scott teased Jane that he got the better deal.

Matt flipped out, Scott had to get out, a big meltdown ensued.  I tried to reason with Scott and started in on the same lecture he's heard before:

"You can't always win and besides, beating your sister is ridiculous, of course you win she is 3 years younger, no more winning games with her.  No one wins."

Trying to be helpful after yelling at him, Matt chimed in, "You should try to find a game that, when you work together, you both win."

"No, I hate those "together" games."

"Well, it looks like you have a future in sales, my son"

Like father, like son.

* Update to add that, reading this now, I realize that this is kind of an inside joke.  Here's the background:  Matt likes individual activities, he races in triathlons, he is very efficient and hates working in groups.  Although he will tell me "we make a good team" when he refers to us as a family, truth be told, he prefers to work alone.  He is also a salesman who is very good at making and closing a deal, something that really requires a mostly individual effort.  I am the team player who is always asking for advice, contributions, "let's talk it through", "let's have a meeting", things that make Matt want to run to some basement guy refuge room where he can fix his bike and be alone.   

Scott is fiercely competitive and enjoys team sports because he likes the actual activity but not because he wants to play together.  He is the kid who will get in trouble with the coach for being a ball hog and when he is reprimanded will say, "but I am the best player."  Like, why would I let someone else mess up my chance of winning?

In this way, they are, my two boys, very much alike.

Matt followed up his sales joke by telling Scott that he doesn't like those "together" games either.  You know, win-win, it is not really their thing.

Comments

[Maddy]

Ooo you're good at the translations!
Cheers

[tac]

But this competitiveness will help them to become our future leaders, executives, etc, right? We keep telling ourselves that anyway - it makes us feel better!

[slouching mom]

Scott and The Mayor, and you can add my Ben to the list.

[Lori at Spinning Yellow]

So, I guess it's a boy thing...
And Laura - you are hilarious! I am tempted to use my first ROFL acronym, but it feels a little weird.

[Laura]

I think you should change the name of your blog to Winning Yellow.

[kristen]

Yep. Way too much emphasis on winning over here too. Ugh.

[Oh, The Joys]

The Mayor always ALWAYS wants to be first. Ugh.