Help me prepare for a hard conversation with a family member. I want to walk in clear, not get pulled into the old patterns.
WHO: {parent / sibling / in-law / adult-child}
TOPIC: {money / their_drinking / aging_parent_care / move_back_home / political_difference / I_can't_be_their_emotional_support}
WHAT'S HAPPENED RECENTLY: {3-5_sentences_of_the_real_facts}
HOW WE USUALLY FIGHT (the pattern): {they_get_defensive / I_shut_down / one_of_us_walks_out / mom_gets_pulled_in}
WHAT I WANT from the conversation: {specific — not 'them to apologize'}
WHAT I'M WILLING TO GIVE: {boundary or concession}
WHAT I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE: {your_red_lines}
VENUE + TIMING: {dinner / phone / walk / one-on-one_when_others_aren't_around}
GIVE ME:
1. **My 3-sentence opener** — calm, specific, not accusing.
2. **What I'll say when they react with [your_predicted_response]** — script for the first deflection.
3. **What I'll say when they bring up [old_unrelated_thing]** — refusing to be pulled off topic, without escalating.
4. **The specific ask** I'm making (clear, single sentence).
5. **My boundary if they refuse** — what I'll actually do, not a threat I won't follow through on.
6. **Two phrases I'll use to slow myself down** if I feel my voice rising.
7. **A repair line** for the end — keeping the relationship intact even if the conversation didn't resolve.
Keep it tight. I have to remember this without notes.0 copies·0 saves·2 views
213 words·1,412 chars
Sample output
Topic: Mom keeps lending my brother money (~$8K in the last year). She's on a fixed retirement income. Pattern: I bring it up, mom defends him, brother gets mentioned (he 'just needs a little time'), I get told I 'don't understand'. Venue: weekend lunch at her place, brother not present.
Opener: 'Mom, I love you and I'm not here to fight. I want to talk about the money you've been lending Marcus. I've been worried for a few months and I owe you the conversation.'
When she says: 'You don't know what he's going through right now': 'I'm sure I don't know everything. I'm asking about you — not him. Your retirement is what I'm worried about.'
When she brings up that I 'always pick on him': 'Mom — I want to keep this conversation about your finances, not about me and Marcus. We can talk about him another day. Right now I just want to focus on you.'
My specific ask: 'I'd like to look at your accounts with you this month and set up a number — a hard one — that you don't lend below. Not because I want to control your money. Because I want you to have a number to hold to when he asks.'
Boundary if she refuses: 'OK. I won't bring this up again — I respect your call. But I won't be the one Marcus asks when you can't anymore. That's the line I have to draw for myself.' (And I follow through.)
Slow-down phrases when I feel my voice rising:
Parameters
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FAQ
Don't rehearse with another family member who has an opinion. Rehearse with a friend who doesn't know any of the players. You'll catch your own escalation language faster. The prompt targets Claude Sonnet and lives in the Personal & Career category on mycopyprompt.
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Repair line at the end: 'Whatever you decide, I'm still your daughter and I'm still showing up. I love you. Thanks for hearing me out.'