This week, I’m excited to share how I’m teaming up with AI to Hack the Parenting Hustle with AI-powered learning assistant, Khanmigo.
I’ve always known I wanted to be a mom—no question. Back when I was a teacher, long before kids entered the picture, I’d daydream about helping my future kids with schoolwork. I pictured weekends filled with creative projects, color-coded study aids, and effortless “aha!” moments as we tackled homework together. [Cue record scratch.]
Now that I’m living the daydream, reality couldn’t be more different. Helping my own kids with homework has not been the serene, joyful experience I once imagined. Some of our most challenging moments happen around the kitchen table, where I try my best to help with math or social studies—subjects I loved and even taught! I was so sure my passion for math would be contagious, or that my excitement over geography would naturally rub off. Spoiler alert: neither has gone as planned. Homework arrives home on those static, two-dimensional worksheets, and I’ve needed to get creative to make learning come to life. As my husband always says, “Practice makes permanent,” so I was determined to find a way to make practice not only accessible but engaging.
For the 2023-2024 school year, I took a hands-on approach, leaning on my own learning style to create resources that tapped into visual and kinesthetic methods. Flashcards had a major comeback, and I found myself folding papers into sections to illustrate fractions. It worked—for a while. But it was time-consuming, and I struggled to maintain the same quality across study sessions. I knew I needed a different approach.
Enter the 2024-2025 School Year: AI as My Co-Pilot
My personal interest in AI for the work hustle made me wonder: Could AI help me “hack” the parenting hustle too? I’d first heard of Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI-powered learning assistant, back in spring 2023. It was making waves in my education tech circles on LinkedIn, but at the time, work had me too distracted to give it a closer look. Then came a Monday evening this September. I was trying to get the kids dressed for soccer practice, pack snacks, and help my daughter prepare for a math test—all at once. The thought struck: There’s got to be an AI solution for this. So, I went back to Khanmigo, whose website tagline says it all: “Meet your new parenting hack: Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutor.”
At just $4 a month, it felt like a no-brainer to give it a shot—and I can genuinely say it’s been a game-changer.
Top 3 Ways Khanmigo Has Hacked Homework for Us:
- Math Practice: It’s no secret that math can be a tough subject to make “fun” at home, even with a former math teacher in the house! Khanmigo provides structured practice and immediate feedback, saving me from creating problems on the spot and offering explanations at a kid-friendly level.
- Spelling Practice: Rather than repetitive drills, Khanmigo turns spelling into a more interactive experience. My daughter is more engaged, and I love watching her improve her skills independently.
- Science Practice: Khanmigo’s real-time, back-and-forth format allows her to ask questions and dive deeper into concepts. It’s like having a science tutor on standby, encouraging curiosity instead of just memorization.
Here’s a quick video showing how I use Khanmigo to help my daughter practice fractions.
3 Reasons Why I Love Khanmigo
- Time Saver: I no longer have to come up with problems or explain each step. Khanmigo handles it all with kid-friendly guidance that keeps her on track.
- Subject Expertise: Even though I taught math, I can admit my explanations may not always be age-appropriate or up-to-date with the latest teaching methods. Khanmigo comes with best practices built in, offering scaffolded prompts based on her feedback.
- Engaging Experience: Practicing math or science through a chat interface is genuinely fun for her. She gets to respond and receive immediate feedback, which keeps her interested and motivated. It’s a whole new twist on mock quizzes and study sessions, and she actually looks forward to it.
If you’re using Khanmigo or other AI tools to help your kids with homework and test prep, please share your experience—I’d love to learn from you!
My story: I’m Julie Kelleher and I live and work at the intersection of education, technology and parenting. The working mom hustle is real and my biggest wish is always more time (and more sleep, but mostly more time). My AI Native kids inspire 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. With this blog, my goal is to bring you real-life examples of how I’ve tested ways to partner with AI to hack the hustle across work and life, in hopes it helps you reclaim time to do more of what you love.
