“Dad, can a lion outrun a cougar?”
“Dad, who would win in a fight, a dingo or a coyote?”
My youngest is in a bit of a “big cats/big predators” phase. That’s just a tiny sampling of questions he asked me… on the same day…during a 10-minute car ride. (For the record, a slight edge goes to the lion, but it could depend on the terrain, and although dingos are typically larger, the winner would depend on too many factors to give a single satisfactory answer).
Part of the rite of parenting passage is taking a part-time role as a search engine for the endless stream of questions gushing from your child’s infinitely curious head. And while I don’t mind fielding a few hundred questions a day, there is a new tool that can help parents with this—and a whole slew of other parent-heavy tasks: AI.
In fact, the answers to those above questions were generated by AI—complete with a treasure trove of more insight than my brain could ever come up with, let alone in 11 seconds.
AI technology is a search engine on steroids and can save you time. As a parent, rejoice!
I know, I know. The term “AI” can invoke a wide range of reactions. For some, they seem to envision a hellish future dystopia where the machines get smarter and slowly enslave humanity to do…well…whatever an ATM machine or coffee maker would have us do. In reality, when used properly, it is a fancy way of boiling down complex questions and large swaths of data into simple answers. It’s the same jump in technology that had some of us worried about the internet or actual search engines. Remember Y2K fears? Alexa? Same thing, different delivery system.
AI technology is a search engine on steroids and can save you time. As a parent, rejoice! AI can provide research and educational assets for kids, give recommendations that cover everything from products to movie selections and assist with planning (think grocery lists, organizing schedules, meal planning).
The one catch? You have to understand how to prompt the AI tool to get the optimal results. Three quick tips:
1. Be specific. Don’t ask, “What is something to do on a rainy day with my kid?” Your 10-year-old may not want to read, Goodnight Moon anymore. Instead, prompt, “Give me 8 ideas on what to do with a 10-year-old when we are stuck inside all day.”
2. Have a conversation. Want to know how confident AI is in their response? Ask it. Want to see where it is getting its answers from? Ask it. Want to commiserate about waking up for the fourth time last night to usher your child to the bathroom? Talk to it. It’ll even give you tips when you don’t ask. Normalize talking to yourself. Sort of.
3. Ask for sources. One of the current drawbacks of AI is called hallucinations. Essentially, from time to time, answers could be pulled from unreliable sources and come up with epically horrendous (and sometimes hilarious) answers. Ask to see the sources and potentially ask for even more examples to prevent this accidental oopsy.
Parenting does not come with a manual, but sometimes, AI can give you the answers to those questions you find yourself saying, “I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but…”
Let me get you started with these prompts you never knew you needed:
Prompt: My 4-year-old ate a non-toxic crayon. Should I call poison control anyways or just accept that he is now part crayon? (Monitor symptoms and follow medical advice. Important: Do not, under any circumstances, follow a parenting columnist’s advice).
Prompt: How can I reason with my tween daughter that dancing in public should not be that embarrassing to them? (This gave me eight different topics to think about, including “normalize dancing.” Bravo, AI. That’s what we keep telling those kids, right? It’s normal and they just accept it.)
Prompt: My 9-year-old just informed me that we are signed up to make three dozen dessert items for school tomorrow morning. I have two hours. What can I make that doesn’t include peanut or tree nut ingredients for kids with food allergies? (Plenty of ideas, including fruit kabobs with special instructions to check for allergens. Also, thanks a lot Johnny for the short notice!)
Have fun discovering the world of AI prompting together with your kids. You may just be able to learn new and exciting things, together.
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