Sunday, March 11, 2007

Joshua's contract

My eight year old son just never fails to amaze me.
Whlie I was in the thick of doing some legl stuff, he handed me a piece of paper which turned out to be the first very contract he drafted.
It amazes me because I never drafted a contract in my childhood, but here is my son trying to make a written proposal at such an early age.
I'm sure I never taught him any legal matter, surely not at his age.
I think he has just been observant all along. I noticed that the way his numbered his statements, is exactly my style of writing pleadings and contracts.
In his own contract, Joshua proposed that he be allowed to download a program into my computer so he would be able to apply it. He likewise proposed that he be allowed use the computer, and that he be given the right to his confidential password, and that we, as his parents should not undertake any verbal complaints about what he is going to do. He also proposed that the contract is not subject to amendment.
When he gave the paper to me, I told him of my pleseant shock, and that I would have to study his proposal first.
He thought that having to make him wait was a virtual rejection of his contract proposal.
He silently crumpled the paper and threw it to the waste basket.
When I was done with my work, I asked for his contract and he said "Your answer was a big NO."
I asked him where the paper was, and he said he already threw it to the waste basket.
I retrieved the contract and saw the word "no" on the space for my signature.
I told him that I was agreeable to the contract and had no intention of saying "no" to it.
But he was already half asleep by then, and he seemed to be saying: "whatever."

1 comment:

Robert Simms said...

My son,J.P. is only 15 months old and already very stubborn.I can't imagine what sort of contract he'll have for me when he's eight.