This is a post about tactical planning. Tactical, as defined by Merriam-Webster; “of or relating to small-scale actions serving a larger purpose.” Precisely. I planned deliberate, small-scale actions to serve the larger purpose of getting my teens out of bed!
Let me set the stage. Teenager is told the night before that he needs to be up at a reasonable time to get work done the next day. So, there are a couple of problems here [see previous post on problem identification]. First, does a teen really know what “reasonable means”? 9:00 am is reasonable. 12:30 pm is NOT reasonable. Second, in the teen’s mind, instruction the “night before” has no relevance to the next morning.
The answer: “Operation Nerf Ambush”
First step: Pre-position the Nerf weapons and darts in mom and dad’s room the night before.
Second step: Pre-combat checks-make sure all Nerf magazines are loaded.
Third step: Recon the hallway and remove any obstacles. We are ready for execution.
At the appointed time, 9:01 am, sneak down the hallway and slide into his doorway. Take a position with clear visibility of the teen and unleash a full barrage of Nerf darts while singing “Wake Up Sleepy Teen”. He will wake up. [sometimes his brother even gets to participate in the ambush]
The teen is a learning creature. If doesn’t take him long to figure out that mom and dad aren’t kidding about employing “Operation Nerf Ambush”. He decides to fire back with his Nerf bow and arrow. Time for a new tactical plan.
The answer: “Operation Bulldozer”
First step: Warn the teen about “Operation Bulldozer”. Don’t tell him what it is, just that it is coming if he doesn’t get out of bed at a reasonable time.
Second step: Recon the room to ensure floor is clear of clutter. [Right! It is a teenager’s room.]
Third step: Mentally rehearse your movements. Timing and speed of your movements are key on this operation. Ready.
Again, at the appointed time, sneak down the hallway and slide into his room. In a single swift motion, starting at one corner of the bed, grab the bottom sheet and start to pull. As you pull, continue to roll everything on the bed, including the teen, into a giant burrito. Continue rolling until this giant burrito and all its contents are resting on the floor. He will wake up. Additionally, he has a firm understanding what “Operation Bulldozer” is all about.
While these operations were executed on our oldest teen, the youngest is not exempt. He has a very early wake up on school days, 5:30 am. We usually allow him a little snooze time after the first alarm. This leeway is quickly becoming a second and then a third call to get out of bed.
I think he better reverse this trend or I might just have another opportunity to plan and execute a “small-scale action”
Proverbs 20:13 “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.”
- What is your plan? -
