For the Child Who Won’t Wake Up

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

What to say

1. It’s seven. I open the curtain and say your name once.

2. Waking up is the hardest minute of the whole morning, harder than getting dressed.

3. I come back in five minutes with the light on and sit on the edge of the bed.

4. You stay under the blanket until I count to ten. Then both feet are on the floor.

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.