I'm a Mom and I Use ChatGPT to Help Solve My Kid's Boredom

Yahoo

3 days ago

I've lost track of how many times my sons have told me their bored this summer. Luckily, I found a way to help by using generative AI.
As I write this, we're well past the halfway point of summer. And if you're anything like me, you've lost count of the number of times your kids have complained, 'I'm bored.'
Luckily, I found a way to help curb their boredom by using generative AI.
Since school let out, I've been experimenting with AI hacks to help my kids pass the time. One day, my 10-year-old grabbed paper and a pencil and wrote a prompt for ChatGPT to invent a game. I offered a few suggestions, like specifying the number of players and equipment, then plugged it in. A few minutes later, he was in our backyard setting up for 'Bounce Battle."
Tips To Create Anti-Boredom Prompts
My favorite prompt of the summer has been, 'Give me a list of 100 things my sons (ages 10 and 13) can do when they say 'I'm bored' this summer. This list should include enjoyable activities as well as some light chores (like sweeping floor or emptying dishwasher). No activities involving electronic devices. The list should include some physical activity.'
As with most AI responses, the list required some fine-tuning. I customized it to match my kids' interests and personalities, and our household needs. Now, the printed list is on the refrigerator, complete with spaces to check off completed activities so they can track their progress. When they finish seven activities, they receive a small reward, like a book or movie-sized candy.
Here are some more prompting tips to help the anti-boredom campaign:
Be specific. For example, rather than asking ChatGPT to simply "create a game," instruct it to "create a game for two to four players that can be played indoors with a ball."
Provide context. To generate the list of 100 activities, I informed the AI tool on all my kids' favorite activities, like playing soccer and coding. Be sure to leave out sensitive information you believe could compromise your children's safety or privacy, most generative AI tools collect data to train their models.
Use the search function. For certain prompts, like creating an itinerary for a local day trip, families need up-to-date information. Most AI tools have a web search option that can help gather current details. On ChatGPT, press the search button after typing your prompt or instruct it to search the web in your prompt.
My 13-year-old and resident tech wiz is an avid coder and uses AI to troubleshoot his code. He says parents should watch out for inaccurate information and avoid providing personal information.
Things to Consider When Using ChatGPT
Tracy Foster, co-founder and executive director of Screen Sanity, shares that in her family AI has helped with everything from creating kid-friendly baseball drills to writing funny songs. Some of the songs may even end up becoming anthems in her household, which she says 'creates such fun family shared culture."
Foster recommends only using AI to generate fun activities or to refine kids' knowledge on topics they're already experts on. She points to a 2025 study that found that those who relied on large-language models to write essays had more trouble responding to questions about their work than participants who did not rely on AI.
In her own family, Foster discourages her kids from using AI to write any content. When her older son takes notes during family trips (to use later in a photo book), she allows him to use AI only to transcribe the handwritten notes, not to write them.
5 Prompts to Try With Your Kids
If you're curious about using AI to help find ways to entertain your kids, here are some prompts to get you started:
Give me a list of 20 meal ideas that would be easy for a 13-year-old with limited cooking experience to make. The list can include prepackaged food and mixes, such as hamburger helper and similar.
This one worked well for my son, who has taken some of the cooking responsibilities this summer. As long as he has clear and simple instructions, he enjoys the process. Plus, my husband and I enjoy a night off of dinner duty.
Invent a new sport for 2 players and up where you have to keep track of score. At least one person needs to be on each team. There can be up to five people on each team. You only need a pickleball to play. After that write down the rules for the sport.
My youngest and I created this one for a game. The prompt is largely in his words, with tweaks for detail where needed.
Give me 5 jokes for elementary-aged kids.
This prompt is a bit broad, so we later narrowed it to request more specific jokes that better suited my kid's interests and humor, which sometimes is required when using AI.
You are a world-renowned comic book author and illustrator. You have writer's block. You are working the finale of your best-selling series. Create 10 ideas for the storyline, including a villain, exciting action, and a compelling plot.
This one's great if your kid loves to write but doesn't know how to get started on a new project. My son is an aspiring author and writes graphic novels, he came up with this prompt when he was frustrated trying to come up with new ideas for his 'Lightning Man' superhero.
What's a craft project inspired by outer space that doesn't involve glitter?
Finally, this one from Foster is a good example of prompts that restrict certain ingredients or materials, which can help families use what they have around the house.
Not All Boredom Is Bad, Though
No solution to the summer doldrums is perfect, though, and I won't deny that we've had our share of boredom, even with my new AI hacks. I give myself some flexibility and remember that my kids do not need constant stimulation and sometimes it's actually good for kids to experience boredom.
Foster agrees. 'We can feel the expectation to be cruise director parents and if our kids say they're bored, it's like an insult to us that we are failing,' she says. 'Instead, having them learn how to work through boredom is so powerful and forces them to unleash creativity.'
Read the original article on Parents
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