AI is getting weird. Here's what I'm doing about it.
It involves dirt, trails, and one really good question
Last week I said it was going to get weird. So let’s get into it.
72% of U.S. teens have used an AI companion. Not for homework, not for research. For companionship. For venting. For emotional support.
Among the teens who use them, a third said they preferred talking to an AI over talking to a real person when it came to serious or personal conversations.
These are 13 to 17 year olds choosing a chatbot over a friend, a parent, a sibling. Not because they don’t have people in their lives. Because the chatbot never judges them, never gets tired, and is always available.
If you want a name to watch out for, it’s Character.AI, the app where most of this is happening. It pulled in over $32 million in revenue last year. Kids are creating AI “friends,” giving them names, building relationships with them. And a YouGov survey of 2,000 young adults found that one in four say they could see AI replacing a real romantic partner. The whole AI companion category is on track for over $120 million this year.
There’s a term for it now: “AI situationships.” I wish I was making this up.
This is the part that sits with me as a mom. My kids are still little. They’re not on these apps yet. But they will be, faster than I think. And when I ask myself why kids turn to a chatbot in the first place, the answer is kind of obvious. They turn to a screen when the screen feels safer, easier, or more available than the real thing.
So the move is to make the real thing win. Get them around real people, in real places, having the kind of in-person experiences that build trust and connection a chatbot can’t fake. The more comfortable they are with eye contact, being bored with another human, figuring it out in person, the less they’ll need a screen to fill that space.
That’s easy to say. It’s harder to do when you’re staring at a Sunday morning with three kids and no plan.
Same Park. Same Swings. Same Sunday.
We go to the park down our street at least twice a week. It’s right there, it’s convenient, and when you live in a 3-bedroom condo with three kids, convenient wins. Chicago has tons of parks, so it’s not like we’re short on green space. The problem is I couldn’t think of anything DIFFERENT. I kept assuming you’d have to drive 45 minutes out of the city to find real nature or real adventure. Turns out I was wrong.
Last week I talked about Sam Altman wanting his kid to just play in the dirt. I nodded along, thinking yes, that’s what my kids need too. Then I looked around my sixth-floor condo and thought, okay, but WHERE?
So on a Saturday night, instead of scanning another newsletter or reading the news, I opened Claude and typed what was in my head:
“I have three kids ages [X]. I live in [Y]. Give me a list of 10 to 15 nature/hiking spots. Separate them into three groups: places close to my zip code, places 30 to 45 minutes away, and places up to 1.5 hours outside the city. Include pros and cons for my kids’ ages.”
Why This Isn’t the Same as Googling It
If I had Googled “things to do with kids near Chicago,” I would have gotten a generic Trip Advisor list or a blog post written for tourists. The same 10 suggestions everyone gets, regardless of whether they have a toddler or a teenager.
What makes AI different is the context you give it. I didn’t just ask for “things to do.” I told it my kids’ ages, what I was actually looking for (nature, not playgrounds), how far I was willing to drive, and that I wanted pros and cons specific to my family. The more specific you are, the more useful the answer. You’re not getting a generic list, you’re getting one built for YOUR situation.
Think of it this way. Google gives you the same answer it gives everyone (more or less). AI gives you an answer based on what YOU told it. It’s the difference between asking a stranger for restaurant recommendations versus asking a friend who knows what your kids will actually eat. (I use Claude through something called Cowork, which remembers my family’s details so I don’t have to repeat myself every time, but any free AI tool works for these.)
I got back a list I actually used. I picked a nature reserve INSIDE the city I’d never heard of, 20 minutes from my condo. The next morning I texted a friend who lives 40 minutes away but was only 20 minutes from the same reserve coming from the other direction. By mid-morning our kids were walking trails and spotting deer. Together. In person. No screens.
While they were running ahead of us I kept thinking about how many Sunday mornings I’ve spent just trying to keep the kids busy without turning on the TV. How it felt like groundhog’s day, same indoor activity, same 4 parks, same couple of museums. This felt different. The kids just looked happier.
I used AI to get my kids AWAY from screens. I used the technology to create exactly the kind of real, messy, dirt-under-their-fingernails experience that every expert says kids need more of. And it took me five minutes on a Saturday night.
Try This
Tonight at dinner, ask your kids: “What’s something you wish we did more?” Don’t correct them, don’t judge, just listen. Whatever they say, that’s your next prompt. Type it into ChatGPT, Claude, or any free AI tool, give it the details of YOUR life (ages, location, budget, what your kids actually like), and see what comes back. Bonus points for including details about your kids like active, sensory seeking, you get the idea.
5 Prompts to Try Before This Weekend
I’ve used the first three myself. The last two are prompts I added because they solve problems that drive me crazy. Copy any of them, change the details to fit YOUR life, and paste into any AI tool. The key is being specific. Don’t just ask a generic question. Tell it about your family, your preferences, your constraints. That’s what makes the answer actually useful.
1. The Weekend Adventure Finder (I used this one for the nature reserve story above)
“I have [number] kids ages [ages]. I live in [your city]. Give me a list of 10 to 15 spots that aren’t just playgrounds. Separate them into three groups: places close to my zip code, places 30 to 45 minutes away, and places up to 1.5 hours outside the city. Include pros and cons for my kids’ ages.”
2. The Grocery List Builder (I used this when we got back from a trip and had nothing in the house, turned it into a Costco run)
“I need to feed [number] people for the week, budget of [amount] from [store name]. I want a mix of protein, fruits, veggies, and snacks. Build me a list, then show me the meals that come from it, optimizing for dinners that work for everyone.”
3. The Credit Card Travel Maximizer (I used this for a trip to New York I’m trying to plan)
“I have a [your credit card name] and I’m planning a trip to [destination]. What’s the best way to use my card’s benefits for this trip? Include flights, hotels, and any perks I might not know about. Keep it simple.”
4. The Mental Load Dump
“Here’s everything on my mind right now: [just type it all, messy is fine]. Help me sort this into three categories: things I need to do today, things that can wait until this weekend, and things I can let go of completely.”
5. The Birthday Party Lifesaver (Added this because kids’ birthday parties are expensive and annoying to plan. If you know, you know.)
“My kid is turning [age] and I need birthday party ideas. Budget is around [amount]. I want something that doesn’t require me to host 15 kids in my house. We live in [city]. What are my best options, and can you help me draft the invite too?”
Save this list. Screenshot it. Send it to a friend who needs a better weekend.
I’ll see you after carpool.
Danielle