In my marketing career, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time (and money) figuring out how to influence decision-makers. You know, people with budgets, committees, and job titles that suggest logic.
Now I parent teenagers.
Honestly? ABM was easier.
Parenting teenagers in Canada during winter is like arguing with a person who fundamentally believes they are immune to the laws of thermodynamics. You can show them sideways snow, minus 20 wind chill, ice pellets hitting the window like BB gun fire…and they’ll still walk out the door in a hoodie like they’re genetically engineered for a climate-controlled mall. Every generation thinks they invented rebellion. Today’s teens seem convinced they’ve also invented not needing a core body temperature.
There is this cultural myth that you get better at parenting the older your kids get. I’m here to report that is absolute nonsense. Parenting teenagers is mostly bargaining, strategic surrender, and muttering to yourself in the backyard while pretending to take out recycling that isn’t even full.
This is the winter version.
It caught me off guard. My oldest son, now sixteen and firmly in the “don’t make a big deal out of anything” phase, casually asked if we were going to do a family walk on Thanksgiving. It was something we used to do when the kids were little, mostly due to needing something to do when all the usual options were closed. You know the walk. A post-breakfast shuffle through a local neighbourhood, everyone bundled up, and ideally enjoying themselves.
Parenting in the digital age comes with its own unique set of challenges. From managing homework and extracurricular schedules to meal planning, managing household chores, and even keeping kids entertained, it can sometimes feel like there are not enough hours in the day. Enter ChatGPT and other AI tools, these digital assistants promise to make life easier, but what can they realistically do for parents? Let’s be honest: a lot of what’s being hyped as “AI magic” often ends up being slightly helpful at best and, in some cases, just a fancy version of what we could already do ourselves.
A practical guide for parents who want to keep up with their kids without having to learn Python overnight.
Confession: I’m not a tech person
Let’s get this out of the way — I couldn’t code my way out of a paper bag. I don’t know Python, JavaScript, or whether “machine learning” involves actual machines. But lately, I’ve been diving into the world of generative AI (things like ChatGPT, DALL·E, Claude, etc.), and I’ve realized something:
You don’t need to be a tech wizard to understand enough about AI to keep up with your kids.
And you should keep up — because they’re already using it.
Alright, parents, it’s time for a real talk. If you thought the hardest part about raising teens was surviving the teenage attitude or keeping up with their music tastes, think again. Now you’re dealing with AI — yes, artificial intelligence, creeping into your kid’s life faster than an eye roll after you suggest something logical.
Your teen is almost certainly using AI tools like ChatGPT, Snapchat’s My AI, or god-knows-what else, probably better than you. They’re asking it for homework help, writing poems, or just having weird conversations with bots. But here’s the kicker: AI isn’t just a fancy calculator. It’s collecting data, it’s listening, it’s learning about them, and frankly, about you too. And if you don’t get ahead of this privacy stuff, you’re basically letting your kid hand over their digital keys without a second thought.
So what should you know about AI and teen privacy? How do you keep your family safe without turning into the ‘AI police’ and killing the fun? I have thoughts, so let’s break it down.
Alright, let’s get real for a second. If you’re a parent in Toronto, or anywhere, really, you’ve probably caught your teen glued to their phone or laptop, poking around AI tools like ChatGPT or some AI art app. Maybe you’ve felt that familiar mix of curiosity and “uh-oh” panic about what exactly they’re up to.
Here’s the deal: AI isn’t going anywhere. Your kid is already using it, and probably better than you. So instead of trying to wrestle it away like the last slice of pepperoni pizza, why not invite them in? Make AI a family thing. Because if you don’t, they’ll just keep doing it solo, probably in their room, with headphones blasting, and zero parental supervision.
Trust me, you want to be in on this.
