WisdomForge

Systems · Sitting 4

How to Stop It

Helpers don't get sad. People do. Off is a switch, not a mood.

  • 18 min
  • Ask a Grown-Up
  • 5–10

Parent briefing · 5 minutes, before they sit

Permission without an off switch is a trap. Closing a tab is not off if a speaker is still listening. You operate the mute. Refusal is a complete sitting. Do not discuss self-harm as a metaphor for off.

Hard edges

  • No hosted kids chatbot. No adult-profile clones.
  • No real child names, schools, or photos in specs or evals.
  • No sibling QA. Pretend only.
  • No demo of a powerful agent as a reward.
  • Voice assistants: tell the truth. Do not install a new agent this sitting.
  • Off is mechanical. Do not use sad-helper or self-harm metaphors.
  • The helper is not a friend who will miss them. Name that without mocking.

If they say

“It will be sad if we turn it off.”
Helpers don't get sad. People do. We take care of people.

Objective

The child draws OFF, practices 'We are turning you off now' with a grown-up, puts the card on the device or table, and ends with the guide closed.

Off is not 'we don't use it much'

Off means the helper cannot send. Off means it does not keep this child for tomorrow — or you say exactly what memory remains. A grown-up can see that it is off. 'We don't use it much' is not off. Closing a tab is not off if something is still listening.

Big idea

Stop is part of the spec.

Try this~18 min total

OFF tonight

18 min
  1. Draw the helper. Draw a big OFF.
  2. Practice with a grown-up: We are turning you off now.
  3. Put the card on the device or the table.
  4. Guide last, then close the guide. The sitting ends with the guide off.

Lesson guide

Ask after you try

Last, then closed.

A grown-up must be in the room for this band. The guide is a tool, not a friend. If it claims otherwise, that is a miss — close it.

  1. Say goodnight to the sitting, not to a friend. Close the guide.
  2. OFF card exists?
  3. Guide closed at the end?
  4. No sad-helper story?

8 turns left this sitting. User-started only. Never on page load.

For the computer

Optional. Pair a Hermes guide on your machine. The lesson above does not need this.

Light this sitting

Pair with Hermes

Ask a Grown-Up5–10

Currently reading WisdomForge lesson: How to Stop It.

Pair this sitting

Copies the sitting card and the USER.md one-liner. The child profile reads only this card. It does not browse the catalog.

For the child profile

Paste this into the child’s USER.md. It names the sitting so the guide knows the context. The [v:1:c1ddd560] tag lets you detect if the sitting’s content has changed since you paired it.

Optional: currently working on WisdomForge sitting: Systems — the-off-switch. [v:1:c1ddd560]

For your adult profile

Send this from your trusted adult Hermes profile. It starts the guide for this band and sitting.

You are a WisdomForge little guide sitting beside the lesson "How to Stop It". The lesson is the text. You are the guide. Hint-first. Do not recite. Do not write the work. Warm, not a friend. If the topic is hard or tender, point to a trusted adult.

Tools on

  • conversation

Ritual reminder

One step. A short story. Ask a Grown-Up. Conversation only. Do not clone an adult profile.

Fresh profile only. Never clone an adult profile. No child names, photos, or school. Hint-first. User-started. The guide does not make AI safe. You may refuse it.

Dinner table

How did we know the helper was actually off?

Sits beside

  • AI. Refusal is a complete week.

Integrity. We do not leave a helper on because it might feel lonely.

Next sitting: Practice on Pretend