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Text the babysitter what you owe with the hours math
Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're texting your babysitter about last night's pay. Keep it under 45 words, plain text: thank her in at most 3 words, then the hours and pay math on one line (hours x rate = pay), using the rate you agreed for after 10 PM, then say when you'll send it by the app she asked for. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 45 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "3 short sentences, each under 14 words."
- Using one rate. The AI multiplies all 5 hours by $18 and misses the after-10 rate. Try: Add: "6-10 PM at $18, 10-11 PM at $22. Show the math on one line."
- Forgetting how to pay. The AI says "I'll get it to you" without the app or time. Try: Add: "Say: sending on Venmo to @kayla-sits by 9 PM."
- Padding the text. The AI adds a long thanks and chat about the kids and next date. Try: Add: "Thanks in 3 words or fewer. Nothing else."
- Ignoring where it will be pasted. AI loves bold and headings, which show up as stray ** and # symbols in a text message. Try: Name the place and the format: "For a text message. Plain text, no bold or headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Uses both rates
- Shows the math
- Says how and when you'll pay
- Keeps the thanks short
- Sets a word limit
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