Begin with a conversation, not an account
Ask your child what they think AI does and where they have heard about it. You can discuss a made-up example on paper before using any online tool. If you do use a service, an adult should first review its current age requirements, settings, and terms. Do not assume that a familiar-looking chat box is designed for children.
A useful starting rule is: an AI answer is something to examine, not something to believe automatically. Try explaining it this way: “We still have to decide whether the answer makes sense.”
Keep private things private
Agree on what stays out of prompts: passwords, home addresses, school details, contact information, private photos, and other people’s personal information. Practice rewriting a prompt with made-up details. “Help a fictional student plan a pretend birthday party” can be enough to explore an idea.
If a task needs personal information, pause and ask an adult whether using an AI service is necessary at all. Choosing not to use a tool is also a technology skill.
Make checking part of the activity
Pick a harmless example, such as a paragraph about an animal, and identify the claims you would need to check. Find a trustworthy source together rather than asking the same chatbot whether it is right. Keep track of what is confirmed, what is uncertain, and what needs to be corrected.
For creative work, checking can mean testing whether the instructions actually work. Does the quiz accept the right answer? Does the game end when it should? An impressive explanation is not the same as a working project.
Notice whose perspective is missing
If a generated story always gives the same kinds of characters the exciting roles, talk about it. Ask who is included, who is left out, and what a different version might look like. Encourage your child to make deliberate choices instead of accepting the first result.
Explain what helped
Use a simple reflection: “My idea was ___. AI helped with ___. I checked ___. I changed ___.” For schoolwork, follow the teacher’s rules about whether and how AI may be used.
Finish by asking your child to explain the project without the tool open. The goal is to make room for their own understanding, choices, and imagination. At CodeTeachers, responsible AI belongs alongside making things—not as an afterthought.
