For the Child Who Eats at the Speed of a Snail

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

What to say

1. Breakfast ends at seven fifty, whether the bowl is empty or not.

2. Eating slow isn’t stalling on purpose. Your mouth just moves at its own speed.

3. The kitchen timer sits on the table with ten minutes on it, and you can watch the numbers drop.

4. When it beeps the bowl goes in the sink, and you can finish the rest in the car.

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.