Back in My Day, We Just Made Stuff Up: Parenting in the Age of AI

When I was a kid, my dad had two approaches to answering my questions:

1. Make something up so confidently I’d believe it for life.

2. Tell me to wait until we saw someone who “probably knew.”

That’s how I grew up thinking swallowing gum meant it would live in my stomach for seven years, and that sitting too close to the TV would basically fry my eyes right out of my head.

I once asked why the sky was blue, and without missing a beat he said, “Because it reflects the ocean, obviously.” Cool. I carried that “fact” straight into middle school science class like a tiny, smug encyclopedia.

But now? Now we’re super parents.

My kid asks “How many hearts does an octopus have?” and I don’t even flinch. I casually say, “Hey Google…” and seconds later I’m dropping octopus knowledge like I’m prepping for Jeopardy. (It’s three. THREE. Mind blown.)

And it’s not just trivia. Parenting today isn’t guesswork anymore. We’re educating in the exact moment a curious little brain is wide open. When they ask, “Why do leaves change color?” and I pull up a quick video of chlorophyll breaking down, they don’t just get an answer—they get wonder. They’re learning in context, in real time.

It’s like knowing every answer in the world… and then finding something even cooler together.

Case in point: we’re at a PhD-level Discovery Channel showcase at the library. My son walks up to a giant screen like he owns the place, points at the shark on display, and says with full confidence,“Oh, that’s obviously an Arctic shark.”

The marine biologist freezes, then says, “Actually… yes. That’s a Greenland shark.”

BOOM. Shark Week moment. My kid’s out here casually bodying marine biologists like it’s just another Tuesday.

But wait. My husband—because he’s adorable—jumps in, determined to out-boom the moment:

“Okay, okay. What about this? What’s that shark made of?”

Kid doesn’t even blink: “Cartilage. Sharks don’t have bones.”

Husband: “Boom! CARTILAGE. That’s right. Sharks are just swimming muscle tubes held together by… ME.”

The biologist, probably regretting their career choices, just nods. I’m in the back Googling “what even IS a Greenland shark” so I don’t look like a complete fraud.

This is modern parenting. Suddenly, we’re:

Pulling off Pinterest-level crafts in 15 minutes because TikTok taught me how to make a haunted gingerbread house out of Pop-Tarts.

Fixing bikes, toys, and my own sanity thanks to YouTube tutorials. (“Wow, Mom, you’re like an engineer!” Sure, let’s go with that.)

Discovering fun recipes on demand. “Alexa, show me 37 ways to use two eggs, a can of beans, and leftover Halloween candy.”

Even my kids don’t bother asking me anymore. They just raise their wrists like tiny secret agents and whisper into their watches.

And honestly? I love it. Parenting has gone from “we’ll figure it out eventually” to “let’s unlock this together—right now.” We’re not just winging it. We’re running a high-tech idea lab out of the kitchen, turning every random question into a teachable moment and a chance to geek out as a family.

Although sometimes I do want to mess with them a little. Just once, when they ask why the sky is blue, I’ll say:

“Because it reflects the ocean… obviously.”

Because let’s face it—some things are too good to fact-check.