The blog
Straight answers for parents, one question at a time.
I write these the way I answer parents after a school talk: the short answer first, then why, then what to do tonight. Every piece is dated, and app guides say when I last checked the facts.
Latest · 14 September 2026
Is Character.AI safe for kids? What changed, and what to watch now
Under-18s can no longer chat with characters on Character.AI. That solves less than you would hope. Here is what the app allows now, what teenagers do instead, and what I would do tonight.
Read it, 9 min →Safety and apps
Is this app safe for my child? Straight answers, by age, checked and dated.
14 September 2026 · 9 min
Is Character.AI safe for kids? What changed, and what to watch now
Under-18s can no longer chat with characters on Character.AI. That solves less than you would hope. Here is what the app allows now, what teenagers do instead, and what I would do tonight.
14 September 2026 · 8 min
Is ChatGPT safe for kids? What I allow at each age
Safe enough to use with a parent from about nine and alone from the teens, if it helps your child think rather than thinks for them. The rules I use at home, by age, and the parental controls worth ten minutes tonight.
13 September 2026 · 7 min
Is AI bad for kids? What the research actually shows
Unguided AI is bad for children. Guided AI is one of the best learning tools we have ever had. The variable is not the technology; it is which loop your family lives in.
Homework and school
ChatGPT, cheating, teachers and the rules that turn AI into a thinking tool.
Coming soon.
The five skills
Resilience, curiosity, adaptability, systems thinking and empathy, built at home.
Coming soon.
The future and family rules
Jobs, screens, agreements and the long view.
Coming soon.
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