Monkeys and Quad Bikes. The perilous art of negotiating your employment package.

We told the kids what is happening and now they are dying to tell their friends but they have to wait until the contract is in the banker's hot little hands. Signed, sealed and delivered. Then they can tell.

The thing is that even though the banker felt we shouldn't tell them, I have disagreed. I wanted them to be involved with this decision from the beginning as it affects them as well and learning, to my mind, is not just about school. It is also about learning how to make decisions, weigh up options and think about consequences.

We asked each of them to write up lists of the pros and cons for each move we have contemplated over the last few months and their answers have been really interesting.

Hong Kong - this was a possibility and the children raised concerns about SARs, the possibility of a second 9/11, the Bali bombing, Osama Bin Laden and apartment living. They were also concerned about the cost of living but the fact that dim sum was available was a very big plus as were swimming and snakes. Proximity to Australia was also a plus as were cheap taxis.

UK - mad cow was a concern as was wind, rain, damp, fog and the fact that life here is boring. On the positives we had potatoes, roast dinners and mud. Another negative was the fact that there is little snow but this also featured on the positives side as we do get some snow.

Australia - positives included relatives, sun, beaches, cousins and kookaburras. Coles New Farm got a mention. On the negatives Australia was unknown to them and they thought they might get teased as they have English accents. They also thought they would be crap swimmers compared to their friends and they woud miss moules et frites from France.

Vietnam - pluses included wearing strange hats and riding motor bikes. Negatives? Bird flu.

Thailand? Lots of curries and noodles and elephants. On the negative side, being hot and sweaty, far away from friends and having to learn another language.

The thing is that they all have their dream posting and we have had strong lobbying from all of them over the past few months.

H was particularly keen to do a posting to India as she has been studying rain forests and she fancied herself the proud owner of a tamarind monkey.

Z just wants to stay put. He loves it here - the sense of community and the open spaces.

B, on the other hand, just wants to go to boarding school and doesn't really care where the rest of the family lives as long as he heads off to his chosen school with his mates.

I filed all of these lists with the banker's papers and I can just imagine him pulling them out at one of these negotiation meetings.

"Well thanks for the offer of the posting to .... but is there any chance of adding a monkey or a quad bike to the package?"

Would have made for an interesting look on his employers' faces at the very least.