4 ChatGPT Prompts Brilliant Parents Use When They’re Overwhelmed & Want To Actually Enjoy Parenthood
The smartest parents are using ChatGPT to offload their busy work.
Josep Suria | Shutterstock Being a parent is no walk in the park, and that's because it’s not a limited profession. When you’re a mom or a dad, you’re also a doctor, therapist, coach, driver, cook, stylist, bodyguard, storyteller, and so much more. Wearing all those hats and trying to run a household can eventually wear a person down. That's why the most brilliant parents have learned that leaning on technology can be the difference between getting overwhelmed and working smarter, not harder.
With the latest advances in technology, especially in Artificial Intelligence, a new option has entered the scene: parents are now turning to ChatGPT to lighten the mental load. Mom Lilian Schmidt has become a bit of an expert at incorporating parenting and ChatGPT, and she's sharing her wisdom with other parents so they can start enjoying their kids more while doing less busy work. She explained that not long ago, tasks like planning dinner, buying birthday gifts, packing for daycare, and making grocery lists would become overwhelming, leading to burnout. Then she discovered the perfect solution. She started asking ChatGPT to handle those tasks for her. Her social media is filled with tips and prompts to help all parents who need a helping hand when it comes to the emotional labor of raising kids, and these are the four ChatGPT prompts the most brilliant parents always use.
1. Plan a week of healthy meals my kids will actually eat.
It can be quite tricky to get kids to eat their vegetables. Not only do they usually dislike them, but even figuring out what to cook in general can feel stressful. So let’s put ChatGPT to the test with this prompt: “My kids rarely want to eat their vegetables, but I need them to. Plan a week of meals that will have vegetables they’d actually enjoy.” Here’s a glimpse of its answer for day one:
"Breakfast can be spinach-banana pancakes that turn bright green but taste mostly like banana, so kids barely notice the spinach. Lunch is turkey and cheese roll-ups with cucumber slices and hummus for dipping, which makes the veggies fun. For dinner, make spaghetti with meatballs and stir in shredded carrots and zucchini, which soften into the sauce and taste more like the tomato base than vegetables. A good snack to end the day is carrot muffins or zucchini bread, both sweet enough that the veggie flavor is very mild."
2. Write a grocery list that is sorted by aisle.
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This prompt is essential, especially since people spend an average of 44 minutes grocery shopping per trip. The more kids you have, the more likely it is that shopping will take even longer.
By telling ChatGPT what groceries you need and which store you will be visiting, so it knows how the items are typically organized, you can get a list that maps out exactly where to go, making your shopping trips faster and more efficient.
3. Find the perfect birthday gift and help me write the card.
Have you spent hours searching for the perfect gift for someone you love? It can be difficult. Yes, the person deserves something special, but what about your second-grader's classmate? After the fourth birthday party of the year, finding a gift becomes another chore to add to the endless list.
Smart parents know, however, that you can ask ChatGPT for help, and there is even an AI tool designed just for this. It’s called Gift Ideas AI. It can help with everything from a gift for a co-worker who is about to retire to holiday teacher gifts. You'll never go over budget and never run out of ideas. Save the more heartfelt gift giving for your nearest and dearest, and let ChatGPT handle the rest.
4. Create a daycare and travel packing list.
Packing your kid’s bag for daycare can be a struggle. You have to remember to grab their food, water, toys, jacket, books, and more. It’s easy to forget something. The same goes for packing for a family trip.
Imagine traveling to another country and leaving behind a toy your child loves! You can bet you’ll be hearing some tears during the visit. That’s where ChatGPT can come in and help you remember everything you need to bring. As parenting site Mom Beach noted, parents need to remember everything from snacks and drinks to entertainment. And that doesn't even include mapping out roadside rest stops for bathroom breaks or a fully downloaded tablet to avoid airport meltdowns.
Instead of a fun family vacation, parents end up needing a vacation from, well, their family vacation. As Schmidt noted, however, it doesn't have to be that way with some tech intervention and some ingenuity. Life is more chaotic nowadays, so why not let AI take some of the less important tasks so you can actually enjoy family time?
The takeaway is that AI can be a good help when your mind is already busy taking care of the little ones. The next time you’re unsure what to cook for dinner or worried about forgetting something before a trip, give it a try. It’s free, and it can make parenthood a little easier.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
