From "Because I Said So" to "Let's Grow Together": Parenting with AI and a Growth Mindset 🌱

From "Because I Said So" to "Let's Grow Together": Parenting with AI and Growth Mindset 🌱

You know that moment when your kid asks you a tough question and you freeze, wishing you had all the right words? That was me, realizing that my parenting toolkit needed an upgrade for our digital age. 💻🎧

Growing up in the 80s, emotions weren't exactly dinner table conversation and talking about feelings just wasn't a thing 🤷‍♀️. Fast forward to becoming a mom, and suddenly I needed words for all these complex feelings my kids were experiencing. Thank goodness for the evolution of parenting resources – from positive psychology to growth mindset concepts – that have helped me expand not just my vocabulary, but my entire approach to parenting.

Like many of us, I've found myself diving deep into the work of parenting gurus like Dr. Becky Kennedy (if you haven't read "Good Inside" yet, add it to your must-read list!). Her concept of REPAIR has become our family's go-to framework for navigating tricky moments 🛠 ❤️ 🌱. But even with these incredible resources, I still sometimes find myself stumped by situations I never experienced as a kid – especially when it comes to helping my AI Natives navigate their increasingly digital world.

Enter my latest parenting experiment: creating a custom GPT I lovingly call my "Growth Mindset Guru." 🧠 📈

Here's what happened when I decided to partner with AI to level up my parenting game:

1. I built a custom GPT using ChatGPT, feeding it with positive parenting resources I've collected over the years 💻 🤖
2. I configured the custom GPT to offer guidance through a growth mindset lens, complete with practical activities for building emotional agility ✨ 💬
3. Most importantly, I made sure it aligned with my parenting values – acknowledging feelings while building resilience 🌱💪

The real test came when we needed to create a Family Technology Contract. As an 80s kid who grew up with one TV channel 📺 and no internet (I know, prehistoric, right? 😂), I wasn't quite prepared for navigating screen time and digital citizenship with my elementary schoolers. My Growth Mindset Guru helped me craft not just a contract, but a whole framework for teaching digital responsibility at home while keeping communication channels open.

Crafting a Family Technology Contract 💻 🤝 was a BIG lesson learned for everyone in our house and reminded me of something a veteran teacher once told me, "It's a lot easier to open the door than it is to close it." This wisdom hits differently now as I watch my kids navigate their digital world. With my AI sidekick's help, we're building healthy tech habits through shared understanding and learning together rather than strict rules that, let's face it, tech savvy kids will figure out how to get around 🧐. 

Want to create your own parenting AI assistant? Here's my quick setup guide:

     ✅ Create a custom GPT in ChatGPT (you need the paid version to create custom GPTs)

     ✅ Feed it positive parenting resources you trust

     ✅ Start with simple scenarios and build from there

     ❌ NEVER just copy-paste - AI can make mistakes and it should never be replacing our parenting instincts, curiosity or sense-making. Think of it as your "guide on the side" while you still call the shots. 

❓What parenting situations would you love an AI assistant to help you navigate? Drop me a note – I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

💡Interested in how I partner with AI for homework and test prep help? Check out my blog post: Hack the Parenting Hustle with AI-powered Learning Assistant Khanmigo

🔗 Stay connected on Instagram @hack_the_hustle, for tips on how I partner with AI like a mother, a marketer, and an entrepreneur to reclaim time in work and life so I can focus on what really matters.

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.