I qualified my comment by stating that I agree with the parent as far as current salaries go, yet that in the general case of salary expectation discussions it

I qualified my comment by stating that I agree with the parent as far as current salaries go, yet that in the general case of salary expectation discussions it is nevertheless a better strategy to state a number first. IMO it isn't clear from the parent that they believe it is a good idea to disclose any number first (whether expected or current salary). BTW, if specifically asked 'what is your current salary?' I would typically respond with 'my ideal new salary is $X'