The irony: I used AI to get my kids off screens

We were driving home, and I could already see it coming.

Dinner. Bath. Then the kids would ask for TV—and we'd say yes because we were tired. One episode would turn into the negotiation: "Just one more? Pleeease?"

Then the tears. The stalling. The emotional exhaustion of enforcing a boundary when you barely have energy left.

My spouse and I looked at each other with that unspoken agreement: not tonight. Let's skip the battle entirely.

But we needed a Plan B. Something engaging enough to compete with Bluey.

Then I remembered: our kids genuinely love coloring. The problem with store-bought coloring books? Generic princesses and random animals they don't care about. They'd color one page and abandon it.

So on the drive home, I opened ChatGPT on my phone and tried something different.

Thirty seconds later, I had it. We got home, I printed it out, showed the kids before they could even ask about TV.

"OOOOHH!"

They grabbed crayons immediately. No negotiating. No "just one episode."

They colored for half an hour straight. And honestly? They still don't color within the lines. But that's not the point.

The point is they were engaged, creative, and screen-free—because the activity was exactly what they wanted, not what some toy company thought kids should want.

Now they're asking me to make new ones. "Can you make a dinosaur driving a race car?" "What about a princess fighting a dragon?"

I'm watching their creative thinking expand in real-time. And all it took was 30 seconds and a specific prompt.

The Exact Prompt (And How To Make It Work For Your Kids)

Here's what I typed into ChatGPT:

"Create an image in a children's coloring book style: bold, even black outlines on white, no shading or tone. Simplify textures into playful, easily recognizable shapes. I want a rocketship launching into space with a cat in an astronaut suit driving the rocket"

Why this prompt works:

• Specific subject (cat astronaut, not just "space theme")

• Clear scene (on a rocket, surrounded by stars)

• Age-appropriate instruction (simple but engaging)

• Leaves room for AI creativity (doesn't micromanage every detail)

The result? Exactly what you see - a coloring page my kids couldn't resist.

How to customize this for YOUR kids:

Replace the subject with whatever your kid is obsessed with right now:

"Create a coloring page with [their interest] + [action/setting]. Make it simple enough for young kids to color but detailed enough to keep them engaged."

Examples:

• "...a T-Rex eating pizza at a birthday party..."

• "...a mermaid princess riding a dolphin through coral..."

• "...a monster truck jumping over a volcano..."

• "...their favorite superhero playing with puppies..."

Pro tip: Ask your kids what they want BEFORE you create it. Their buy-in makes all the difference. When they see exactly what they asked for materialize on paper? Magic.

The Bigger Picture

I'm not anti-screen. TV isn't evil. But I am pro-intentional.

The problem isn't that kids watch TV - it's that we default to it because we're exhausted and it's easy. Then we feel guilty. Then we battle over "one more episode."

AI just leveled the playing field.

Now screen-free activities can be as personalized and engaging as their favorite shows. And they take 30 seconds to create instead of a trip to the craft store.

The irony? I'm using technology to reduce technology. And it's working.

My kids still don't color inside the lines. But they're asking for "just one more coloring page" instead of "just one more episode."

I'll take that trade any day.

Make Their Art Matter (Literally Put It On Display)

Here's something I learned: kids engage more when their work feels important.

When coloring pages went straight into a drawer or the recycling bin, my kids lost interest fast. Why spend 30 minutes coloring if it disappears?

So we got these magnetic display boards from Amazon and hung them in their rooms.

Now? Every finished coloring page gets displayed. Their room has become a rotating art gallery of cat astronauts, dinosaur race cars, and whatever wild creation they requested that week.

What changed:

• They take more time coloring because they know it's going on "the wall"

• They show visitors their gallery with pride

• They request new pages to "update the collection"

• The magnetic clips make swapping easy - old artwork comes down, new goes up

It's the difference between "just another activity" and "I'm creating something that matters."

The complete system:

1. Kids request what they want to color

2. You create it in 30 seconds with AI

3. They color it (in or out of the lines, who cares)

4. It goes straight to their display board

5. They feel like artists, not just kids killing time

Total cost: $40 for the boards. Endless custom content from AI. Zero screen time negotiations.

Catch Up on Previous Newsletters You May Have Missed

- How I meal prep 5 lunches in 30 minutes (with kids interrupting)

- I asked AI to save my marriage. Here's what happened.

- ABC News just discovered what I've been teaching you