AI for parents and carers · East Kent
What parents need to know about children and AI
Children and teenagers use AI for homework, for chatting and for making pictures, and it's much easier to set sensible rules once you've tried the same tools yourself. This two-hour lesson at your home is for parents, carers and grandparents: you learn the apps, the age limits and the controls, and leave with a plan for your family. It's for the adults; I don't teach children on their own.
£149 · 2 hours at home
Home visits across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham and Thanet. Evenings and weekends by arrangement.
How children and teenagers use AI
Broadly, in four ways. As a homework helper that can explain a topic or, less helpfully, write the answer. As someone to chat to, including apps designed to act as a friend or companion. As a picture maker, for fun images and, at the darker end, fake pictures of real people. And inside apps they already use, where AI features appear with little announcement.
None of this means banning it. It helps far more if children learn to use AI well and to question what it tells them, with you knowing what they use. The aim of the lesson is that you understand these tools well enough to set fair rules and talk about them without guessing.
If both parents want to come, or grandparents too, the friends and neighbours session covers up to four adults in one home for £199. To learn the AI on your own handset, see AI on your phone or tablet.
Age limits for the main AI apps
| App | Minimum age in the UK | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 13, with a parent or guardian's permission for under-18s | Parents can link to a teenager's account (with the teen's agreement) to manage settings, including turning off location sharing, but can't read the conversations. Accounts judged to be under 18 get a teen version with extra safeguards and no adverts. |
| Claude | 18 | Anthropic's terms make it adults only. |
| Gemini Live and Gems | 13, signed in to a Google account | Gemini Live, including the camera and screen sharing, is free. |
| Siri AI on iPhone (iOS 27) | Not available to under-13s | In beta since September 2026, and able to search messages, emails and photos on the phone. |
From each company's terms and help pages, checked October 2026.
Homework help that isn't cheating
Schools set their own rules on AI, so ask for your child's school policy first. Within those rules, these are good habits to encourage.
- Explain, don't answerAsk the AI to explain the method and give a similar example, then do the real question without it.
- Try the study features togetherChatGPT has a Study mode on the free plan. Sit down with your child, try it on tonight's homework, and see whether it suits them.
- Check one factPick one claim in the answer and check it in a textbook or a reliable website. It builds the habit of doubting.
- Say when AI was usedIf the teacher allows AI help, a short note saying how it was used keeps everything above board.
- Shared spaces for younger teensAI at the kitchen table rather than behind a closed door, at least to begin with.
Deepfakes and "nudify" apps: what to know
Some apps can turn an ordinary photo of a real person into a fake nude image, and such images can be used to bully or pressure someone. From December 2026 the EU bans AI systems that produce this kind of non-consensual sexual imagery. In the lesson we talk through how to raise the subject calmly, which privacy settings cut down the photos strangers can see, and what to do if it happens: don't forward the image, even to show someone, note where it appeared, report it to the platform and contact the police.
A family safe word covers the other side of deepfakes: fake voice calls claiming to be your child in trouble. The scam safety session goes into that in more depth.
AI that makes family life easier
It isn't all risk. These are useful jobs we can set up while I'm there.
Meal plans and shopping lists
A week of dinners built around what your family actually eats, with the shopping list grouped by aisle.
A family planner assistant
Gems are free in the Gemini app. Set one up with your family's routines and preferences, so you don't have to repeat them every time.
School newsletters, summarised
Paste in a long newsletter and ask for just the dates and the things you need to do.
House rules, written down
Draft a family agreement about screens and AI, then go through it with your children and edit it together.
Questions people ask
What age can children use ChatGPT?
ChatGPT's minimum age is 13, and under-18s need a parent or guardian's permission. Claude is for over-18s only.
Can I see my child's ChatGPT conversations?
No. ChatGPT's parental controls let you manage settings on a linked teen account, but not read the chats. Asking what they use it for is often more revealing anyway.
Is using AI for homework cheating?
It depends on the school's rules and on how it's used. Asking AI to explain a method is very different from copying its answer, so ask the school for its policy.
Are AI companion apps safe for teenagers?
They vary a great deal, and none is a substitute for friends or proper support. If your teenager uses one, try it yourself, and check its age rating and privacy settings.
Do you teach children?
No. The lesson is for parents, carers and other adults. Family are welcome to sit in, so an older child can show you the apps they use while you're there, but I don't teach children on their own.
What's included in the £149?
Two hours one-to-one at your home, on your own devices, a printed guide written for your family, and two weeks of phone help afterwards. Nothing is due until the day, by card, or by bank transfer afterwards.
Who you'll learn with
I'm Ross Hayes, and I live in Herne Bay. I come to you, we use your own phone, tablet or computer, and I explain things in plain English. I never ask for your passwords or bank details, family are welcome to sit in, and there's no selling on the day.
Start with a free 15-minute phone chat, so I can check what you'd like to learn and which device you use.
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