For the Child Who Asks What They Get

Four lines you can say out loud tonight. Word for word. Free to save.

What to say

1. Cleanup is part of living here. It does not come with a prize.

2. Wanting something for hard work is a fair thing to want.

3. The last thing is the block bin, on the shelf by the couch. Then we are done.

4. After the bin is up, you choose what we do for the next twenty minutes.

When to use it

This is for the moment it actually goes wrong — not the calm version you rehearse in the car. Pick one line. Say it once. Then stop talking and wait three seconds. If they push back, repeat the same line, not a new one. Say the same thing for five nights before you decide it doesn't work.