Your Kid Might Have AI at School

Hey friends, 

Okay… is it just us, or can we almost smell spring? We got a glimpse of it this week - sunshine, windows down, snow melting… sigh. But also we know winter is petty. Winter will absolutely give us two warm-ish days, let us put the coats away, and then hit us with a late-season ice storm like, “REMEMBER ME?!”

So we’re choosing positive thinking. We’re willing Spring into existence. If we believe hard enough, it counts, right? And if winter drags us back for one last rage-snow… we’ll be in the driveway in pajama pants, screaming into the void with you.

Students can access Google Gemini in classrooms

If your kid’s school uses Google Classroom, there’s a decent chance Gemini (Google’s AI chatbot) could be available through their school account. And most of us would have zero clue unless we went looking. It’s something that feels like it should maybe be included in the school newsletter…

Because, whether you’re pro-AI, anti-AI, or just too tired to care until it affects your child, we should at least know what tools our kids can access at school and what guardrails are actually in place. Especially right now, when families have been raising serious concerns about kids’ interactions with AI chatbots. There have been lawsuits involving allegations of severe psychological harm and teen suicides connected to chatbot use. That doesn’t mean “Gemini in schools caused X,” but it does mean we’re not being dramatic for wanting transparency.

So here’s our advice: Email your school admin and ask:

• Do students have access to Gemini through their school Google accounts?

• If yes, what grades/ages is it enabled for?

• How is it monitored or restricted?

• What happens if a kid is using it for emotional support or mental-health type conversations?

• What guidance are you giving families?

Not because we’re trying to be the fun police, but because we’re the parents and free and available shouldn’t automatically mean safe and unmanaged.

The new college admission essay vibe in the AI era

Okay so… if you have a teen anywhere near the college essay universe, this one is actually fascinating. The University of Michigan’s LSA Honors Program admitted what everyone’s been thinking: AI is here, kids are using it, and pretending otherwise is pointless. So instead of avoiding it, they’re leaning in.

They’re asking students to submit a full AI-generated essay unchanged (like, “give us what the bot wrote”) and then the student has to explain what works, what doesn’t, and why. Which, we think, is kind of genius. Because the point isn’t if the student can produce a polished paragraph anymore… it’s about if they can think critically. Can they spot fluff? Can they notice what’s missing? Can they explain why something sounds convincing but isn’t actually saying anything? That’s the skill. And it’s such a clear signal that colleges & universities are adapting fast, but still being super picky about what matters: discernment, critical thinking, and having an actual brain behind the words.

If your kid is using AI for schoolwork, we shouldn’t be teaching them to never touch it. The goal should be to help them learn how to use it like a tool and not like a crutch. How to question it, edit it, add their own voice, and not hand in something that sounds like a corporate email from a robot who’s never met a teenager.

Coming soon: The Parent’s Guide to AI

We’re putting the finishing touches on a practical, parent-friendly AI Guide that covers

• what kids are actually using

• how to set boundaries without a battle

• how to talk about AI, cheating, deepfakes, and “AI friends”

• how to build critical thinking at home

Want it the second it drops?
Sign up for the launch email and you’ll get it first (plus any early bonuses we add).

Quick wellness check on the group chat that is parenthood in February (especially if you live somewhere cold). Because we are going down over here. Everyone’s coughing, someone’s throat hurts, someone’s stomach is “off,” and the rest of us are just rotating between Advil, tea, and pure delusion.

If you’re in the same boat, we just want you to know: you’re not alone, and you’re not failing. This season is heavy, and sometimes the only win is “we all made it to bedtime.” This week we tried the house burp — opening all the doors for five minutes and evicting the stale winter air — and honestly? Surprisingly effective at shifting the mood and getting a few good vibes moving again.

If you want to hit reply and tell us what you’re dealing with right now — sick kids, burnout, teen moods, your own exhaustion — do it. No fixing, no judging, just connection. We’re in it with you. ❤️

—Cat & Nat