“Mom, just ask ChatGPT to explain it to your 10 year old”
From the mouths of babes. In this case, spoken from the mouth of my 10 year old whenever my explanations to questions just aren’t cutting it (which is quite often these days).
I am lucky enough to be a mom to two incredibly bright kids who also happen to be AI Natives. The working mom hustle is real and my biggest wish is always more time (and more sleep, but mostly time). My AI Native kids inspired me to embrace the future alongside them and experiment and explore how AI can enrich our lives, feed our curiosity, and help us reclaim precious time to focus on what matters.
What is an “AI Native,” Anyway?
I started using this term over the past year as I watched my two elementary aged kids infuse technology into their daily lives in a way only the Jetsons could have helped me imagine when I was their age. (Yep, I am THAT old). The term “Digital Native” was popularized by education consultant Marc Prensky in 2001. He described Digital Natives have “spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers and video games, digital music players, videocams, cell phones and all other toys and tools of the digital age.”
You can think of “AI Natives” like the next step beyond “Digital Natives.” In fact, they’re part of what researchers call Generation Alpha, kids born after 2010. who are growing up with AI, smart devices, and all things tech at their fingertips. Today’s AI Natives don’t just grow up with screens; they grow up with interactive, intelligent helpers in their pockets and homes.
Given their aptitude for using AI in both practical and creative ways,
perhaps the nickname for Generation Alpha should be
⚡“Gen A(i)?”⚡
Then, when ChatGPT launched in late 2022, it opened up AI for everyone, including curious kids. Soon, my daughter and I were exploring ChatGPT together, experimenting with prompts, explanations, and even using it as a learning tool for her school questions. “Mom, just ask ChatGPT to explain it to your 10-year-old” has become her catchphrase when my own answers fall short. Our household journey with AI started in 2016, when my oldest was only three. As soon as Amazon Alexa could understand her little voice, she took to it like a fish to water. Before long, “Alexa, what’s the weather?” became a regular part of our daily routine. When my second child came along, the same story unfolded. I used to joke that they’d never know what life was like without a house full of robots—now, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Fast forward to late 2022 when ChatGPT launched, making opportunities to partner with Artificial Intelligence (AI) accessible in unprecedented ways, including curious kids. Soon, my daughter and I were exploring ChatGPT together, experimenting with prompts, explanations, and even using it as a learning tool for her school questions. “Mom, just ask ChatGPT to explain it to your 10-year-old” has become her catchphrase when my own answers fall short (which is A LOT these days).
Our household journey with AI started in 2016, when my oldest was only three. As soon as Amazon Alexa could understand her little voice, she took to it like a fish to water. Before long, “Alexa, what’s the weather?” became a regular part of our daily routine. When my second child came along, the same story unfolded. I used to joke that they’d never know what life was like without a house full of robots—now, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Nearly 2 years since the proliferation of GPTs, I am finding new collaborate with AI daily in life and work and it has been a GAME CHANGER. I want to share ways that I use AI to hack the hustle to reclaim time to focus on what really matters.
Hack the Hustle Tip: Using AI like a mother
AI Prompt Challenge: Next time someone asks you about a topic that’s difficult for you to explain easily, try this prompt in ChatGPT or your favorite AI Chatbot. Simply cut and paste the following prompt and replace each bracket with the information for each section.
AI Prompt: Help me explain [topic] to [target audience].
Example: Help me explain photosynthesis to a 10 year old.
Additional Prompting Tips:
- Ask the chatbot to make it funny
- Ask the chatbot to write it like a children’s book
- Ask the chatbot to create a study guide for a quiz on photosynthesis for a 10 year old
My story: I’m Julie Kelleher, living and working at the intersection of education, technology, and parenting. The working mom hustle is real, and my biggest wish is often for more time (and, yes, more sleep—but mostly more time!). My kids, who I like to call “AI Natives,” inspire me daily to embrace the future with them, exploring how AI can enrich our lives, spark curiosity, and help us reclaim those precious hours for what matters most. Through this blog, I share real-life examples of how I’ve experimented with AI to hack the hustle—whether at work or home—in the hopes that it inspires you to reclaim more time to do what you love.
Full credit for the inspiration and motivation to share these stories goes to my 2 elementary aged kids, who I often refer to as my “AI Natives.”
