AI at home — a one-page parent guide
Everything on the For Parents page, boiled down to something you can stick on the fridge. Print it, and you've got the essentials.
The one rule: "Did you try first?" Ask it before your kid uses AI on schoolwork. Yes → AI becomes a tutor that explains. No → they're skipping the learning. It's not "no AI" — it's try first, then AI explains, not solves.
By age — the quick version
Under 10 — side by side. AI with you in the room, for curiosity. After each answer, ask out loud: "How could we check that?" Show them it's normal to double-check.
10–13 — supervised, specific tasks. A shared account you can see. "Explain this concept," "check my paragraph." This is where the "try first" habit sticks.
14–17 — their call, with conversation. Most already use it. Talk about what for — school, social, feelings. Know your school's AI policy; it varies.
Privacy, every age. What they type isn't private. Turn on each tool's Data controls so chats don't train the model. Never paste full names, addresses, or anything private.
The conversation that matters most
If your kid treats AI like a friend or therapist: don't ban it — make sure there's also a real person. AI fills the in-between; it can't be the only one. Ask: "What's it giving you that's hard to get somewhere else?" Watch for big mood/sleep/friend changes, or pulling away — those are a call to a pediatrician, counselor, or therapist.
Worried about immediate safety? In the US, call or text 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential, 24/7.
Paste this to turn AI into a tutor
I'm stuck on a school problem. Please DON'T give me the answer.
Instead: (1) explain the concept in plain language, (2) ask me ONE question to take the next step, (3) wait for my answer. Work through it with me, one step at a time — the goal is for me to understand it.
The problem: [paste]. What I've tried: [or "stuck at the start"].
learnai4kids.org
Free, kid-safe, nothing collected. Explore it together.
3 questions for any AI answer
① "Did you make this up?" ② "What if I'm wrong?" ③ "How could I check this?" — teach these and your kid can vet any AI, for life.
Where to explore
Ages 8–12: the kids rooms. Ages 13+: the teen track. The full playbook: For Parents.