TinyStepper
Toddler on a cushion gently blowing a pinwheel in a cosy corner

Brave Phrases Practice

Teach your toddler three simple sentences they can say to themselves when they wake up scared in the night — short, calm, repeatable phrases that fit in their head when nothing else does.

Activity details

2y–4y5 minslowindoorNo prep

Instructions

Get ready
  • Sit somewhere calm with your child during the day — not near bedtime.
  • Say: 'I want to teach you three special sentences for when you wake up at night.'
  1. Sit somewhere calm with your child during the day — not near bedtime.
  2. Say: 'I want to teach you three special sentences for when you wake up at night.'
  3. Speak the first one slowly: 'I am safe in my bed.' Have them repeat it.
  4. Speak the second: 'Mum is just down the hall.' Have them repeat it.
  5. Speak the third: 'My sleep buddy is right here.' Have them repeat it.
  6. Practise the sequence three times in a row.
  7. Tell them: 'If you wake up scared, say these three sentences. They will help.'
  8. Practise once more right before sleep that same night.

Parent tip

Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.

Relaxed child lying on a floor cushion with blanket and pinwheel in a cosy calm corner

What success looks like

A few quiet minutes together without pressure. If your child relaxes even slightly, that’s self-regulation building.

Pick three short sentences your child can learn and say to themselves at 3am: 'I am safe in my bed', 'Mum is just down the hall', 'My sleep buddy is right here'. Practise them together in the daytime so they're familiar. The goal is to give your child something concrete to grab onto when their brain is flooded with scary feelings — a small set of words they own and can repeat without needing you to be in the room.

Why it helps

NHS guidance on toddler emotional development highlights the value of giving children specific, repeatable language for difficult feelings — words become tools the child can use independently when an adult is not immediately present. Practising the phrases in calm daylight transfers them to long-term memory in a way that feels safe, so when the 3am moment arrives the child has a verbal anchor ready. The simple act of speaking aloud also activates the prefrontal cortex, which helps dampen the amygdala's fear response.

Variations

  • Adapt the three sentences to your specific home — replace 'down the hall' with whatever is true.
  • Make a tiny picture card with three drawings, one per phrase, to keep by the bed.
  • Have a sibling teach their younger brother or sister the phrases as a sibling-bonding activity.

Safety tips

  • Keep the phrases short — three to six words each, so they fit in a frightened brain.
  • Avoid phrases that rely on you being awake and able to come — focus on what the child can do alone.
  • Don't use the phrases as a substitute for going to comfort your child if they call out.

Want to try another?

Holding Hours With Mum

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