AI and Parenting: How Parents and Children Are Using Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a behind-the-scenes parenting assistant for families across the country. As these tools become more accessible, parents are increasingly turning to AI to help with different tasks, from meal planning to behavior advice. 

To better understand this shift, we surveyed more than 1,000 parents nationwide to learn about how they’re using AI in their daily routines. We also explored how their children are interacting with this technology, and the concerns that come with that. 

81% of Parents Use AI to Help With Parenting Tasks

More than 4 in 5 (81%) parents have used AI to help with parenting tasks. Among them, 43% use it weekly, while 15% use it every day. Additionally, 2 in 3 parents say AI has reduced their mental load.

How Parents are Using AI:

1. Health or medical information (53%)
2. Meal planning or grocery lists (49%)
3. Behavior advice (43%)
4. Homework or academic support (42%)
5. Planning activities/crafts (37%)

Nine in ten parents (90%) believe AI makes parenting easier overall, and 91% say it boosts their confidence as a parent. On average, parents report AI saves them 58 minutes each week.

Parents say they turn to AI for a variety of practical reasons. Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) use it to help make better decisions, while 19% rely on it to save time. Another 13% value its 24/7 availability, and 12% use it to make faster decisions.

Parents’ Concern Over Children’s AI Use Growing

As AI use grows in nearly all aspects of life, 3 in 4 parents worry about the rise of AI use among their children. Their top concerns include a potential decline in critical thinking skills (30%), exposure to misinformation (23%), and the risk of AI replacing human interaction (17%).

“With the rise of AI platforms, including those that may be embedded within other digital technologies (like search engines), it is essential to communicate with children about digital literacy,” says Alyssa Cohen, MD, MSc, pediatrician and health services researcher at Lurie Children's. “This includes critical thinking about AI-generated content, how to protect personal information, and working together to set boundaries around technology use as a family.”

“As AI becomes more accessible and integrated into everyday life, it is important that we communicate about digital literacy and work with children on how to use these tools effectively,” adds Rachel Follmer, MD, developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Lurie Children’s. “Parents should have open conversations about risk and also benefits of using the technology. They should work with children on how to critically assess the content, safety rules around use and family boundaries. As with other technology we recommend that children limit screen use to under two hours a day to allow for more social engagement, physical movement and opportunity for hands-on play and learning that is critical for development.”

Nearly all of those surveyed (96%) believe parents should set rules or limits on children’s AI use and 74% would be more open to their child using AI if parental controls were in place.

More than 1 in 3 Kids Use AI Tools, Toys, or Chatbots

Notably, 34% of parents surveyed say their children use AI tools, toys, or chatbots. Among these families, children begin using AI at an average age of 10.

Top Ways Kids Are Using AI:

1. General information (66%) 
2. Entertainment (56%)
3. Homework help (52%)

The most common tools parents say their kids are using include AI chatbots (68%), voice assistants (58%), and educational apps (32%). Usage is frequent, with 44% of children using AI multiple times a week and 24% using it daily. Despite this, more than half of parents (55%) say their child uses AI unsupervised, and 28% report they do not have any rules or limits in place.

“As with other digital technologies, parental mediation of youth AI use is important to ensure safety,” says Dr. Cohen. “Rules around AI should be tailored to the child's developmental stage and individual needs, and may include co-use, parental control settings, or regular family check-ins to discuss questions and concerns.” 

“With any technology, parents need to spend time monitoring and working with their children around use,” says Dr. Follmer. “Children cannot know what to avoid if they have not been taught about risks or how to use the technology safely. Parents should set expectations about monitoring of use, when to report concerning interactions or content, and family limits related to length of time and type of activities. Expectations should be tailored to a child's developmental level, but should include regular check-ins to ensure rules are followed and modification of expectations as development progresses."

31% of Parents Have Followed AI Advice Over Their Instincts 

Nearly one-third of parents (31%) say they have followed AI advice over their own parental instincts. Of them, 30% did so for health-related advice, while 26% turned to AI for emotional guidance. Even so, many parents approach AI with caution. Half (50%) say they always double-check AI parenting advice before following it, and another 41% say they sometimes verify the information. Just 9% say they don’t double-check at all.

“Technology cannot replace a parent's intuition,” says Dr. Cohen. “It is important to question the original source of information that is AI-generated and approach use with a healthy dose of caution. For advice on child health and development, I would recommend turning to trusted expert sources such as HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics.”

“Technology is only as good as the question being asked,” says Dr. Follmer. “It is important that parents trust their own instincts and question responses that do not make sense. I recommend that parents find experts that they trust and align with their parental goals and parenting styles. For questions related to their children’s health and development, parents should turn to expert sources or verify that the advice they are receiving aligns with recommendations from trusted expert sources.” 

Parents are also concerned about their use and how it would be perceived: 33% believe other parents would judge them for using AI and 16% feel guilty for using AI for parenting help.

When it comes to trust, parents are most hesitant to rely on AI for discipline advice (50%), followed by health or medical information (38%) and emotional guidance (37%).

Methodology

In April 2026, we conducted a survey of 1,004 parents with children 17-years-old and younger from across the U.S. about AI use among themselves and their children. Among respondents, 34% identified as male, 65% as female, and 1% as nonbinary or declined to answer. Respondents had an average age of 38.

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Fair Use

When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Lurie Children’s.