For years, the media has warned me that AI would soon take over my job. A few years later, I'm somehow still here making a living as a writer, maybe because AI can't always be trusted to do the job well.
Obviously, AI can't replace me as a parent either, but I'm curious about how this technology can help me do the job I'm not paid to do: be a dad to two cool kids. I started doing some research and discovered that AI has many practical uses in the field of parenting. However, there are things that AI can ostensibly do that makes me rethink the ability to innovate.
Here are some legitimate uses for AI that can help you with your caregiving duties, and some that, as my 7-year-old likes to say, seem a bit “sus.”
Use AI for: Conversation prompts
Let's say you need help having meaningful conversations with your kids, or are trying to figure out where to start discussing a sensitive topic. In this case, artificial intelligence can be a useful tool for initiating discussions. However, it's important to remember that AI is just a tool - don't expect your children to open up to you just because you used a script generated by a computer program. You need to actively engage and validate the suggestions provided by the AI, and then use them when connecting meaningfully with your children.
Don’t use AI for: Parenting advice
Artificial intelligence cannot replace your role as a parent. While some tools like Vow Care can be helpful for mothers in the early stages of parenting, you should find the parenting style that works best for your family and values. Because AI doesn't know you or your child directly, the information and suggestions it provides may not suit your temperament or style.
Using Artificial Intelligence: Creating a Bedtime Story
As someone who regularly makes up silly bedtime stories for my kids, I occasionally need help crafting an engaging story to put them to sleep. You can use a program like Bevel Edge to write the story for you. All you need to do is provide a few details to get started.
Don’t use AI for: Telling bedtime stories
Children crave that unique touch that only parents can provide in a bedtime story. They crave your voice, expression, and personal style. No computer program can replicate this. It is your presence that gives life to words and sparks their imagination.
Using Artificial Intelligence: Meal Planning and Recipes
If you and your family are tired of takeout but don't have time to plan meals, artificial intelligence can help. For example, you can use ChatGPT to generate meal ideas based on the ingredients you have on hand. According to the report, you can enter some tips into the free version to help generate breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas for your family without having to hunt down recipes. However, it's important to note that these tools are not perfect and may not always provide the most appropriate meal options for your family's preferences and dietary needs.
Don’t use AI for: Grocery shopping
According to reports, we are about to reach a time when robots can buy our groceries for us. This sounds cool, but as someone who regularly uses the Target app to order groceries, I can't currently get a human to pick out a ripe banana, and I doubt a robot can do a better job. Having AI shop for me also removes any sense of discovery from the experience, meaning my kids and I may never know there are new products on the shelves.
Using Artificial Intelligence: Tracking Your Child's Milestones
Any pediatrician will provide numerous checklists to help parents track their child's development. However, it may take some time to get your child tested. For parents concerned about their children's development, there are artificial intelligence apps that track cognitive, social and language development milestones. Some can even help detect autism early. Many of these programs have not yet been clinically evaluated, but they sound really promising, so rather than taking the results as gospel, bring them together and discuss them with your pediatrician.
Don’t use AI to: Make important parenting decisions
Using AI to save time or make more informed decisions seems entirely reasonable. However, using this technology to help you decide whether your kids should have social media accounts or whether they should be homeschooled feels a little wrong.
AI programs like Bottell may claim to provide personalized recommendations for you and your children, but only you know what's right for your offspring. Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for your own judgment and understanding of your child’s needs and circumstances.
Using Artificial Intelligence: Find Games and Crafts for Your Kids
If a rainy day ruins outdoor plans, parents can use Chat GPT to provide creative ideas for bored kids. Ask the show for ideas on games, science experiments, puzzles and crafts that families can do indoors. You can even ask it to give them an educational bent so the kids can learn something while having fun.
Don’t use AI to: Play with children
They want to play with you, not the computer.
Use it (or don't use it): Coaching
This is a difficult decision. While Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal Khan shared his belief in a popular TED talk that artificial intelligence can be used as an educational tool to tutor children around the world, The Wall Street Journal found that Khanmigo, his artificial intelligence educational robot, often failed to do this. t performs basic mathematics. A company spokesperson told reporter Matt Barnum that the upgrades were made to improve the robot's accuracy.
If you can't remember how to do a math problem your child is working on, you might consider asking an AI for help describing how to solve the problem — but considering Khan Academy stresses to educators that the technology isn't perfect, you're "temporarily Also double check the numbers and formulas on your child's homework.
