ChatGPT has answers for everything—including your kids. But should parents trust it? Learn when AI can help and when it can be harmful.
This resource is part of a series on the importance of understanding the implications of using AI tools as a substitute for professional care.
1. The Growing Use of AI | 2. Health Advice and AI | 3. Parenting Advice and AI (current)
Parents today are increasingly turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT for quick child-rearing tips. A recent study found about 71% of parents had tried ChatGPT, and over half had turned to it for parenting questions. For many parents, receiving an instant response to questions like “Why won’t my toddler sleep?” or “How do I explain long division?” can feel reassuring. But is ChatGPT really a trustworthy source for common caregiving and parenting questions?
In this article, we’ll look at how AI-powered chatbots can be useful to parents and more importantly, when consulting with real-life experts is recommended.
When Can ChatGPT be Helpful?
Quick ideas. Picture this: it’s the third rainy day in a row and you’ve already maxed out your ideas for crafts and activities. It’s only 11 a.m. and you need some help! ChatGPT can come to the rescue and provide fun ideas for crafts, games, or stories.
Simple answers. AI can answer simple general questions, such as “How many fruits and vegetables should my 3-yr old eat?” or can explain things in plain language, like turning medical jargon into simple terms.
Non-Judgmental Support. Many parents feel more comfortable asking AI awkward questions about bed-wetting or temper tantrums, rather than asking family or friends.
Prepping for appointments or school meetings. ChatGPT can quickly gather background information and help parents prepare questions for doctor visits or parent-teacher interviews.
Where AI Tools Fall Short
It’s important to understand that AI tools like ChatGPT have limitations and they aren’t trained on validated parenting advice. AI models are not experts and are certainly capable of generating wrong information. In addition, responses are often one-size-fits-all and not personalized and evidence-based.
Not a Substitute for Expertise. Some experts have pointed out that AI hallucinations are getting worse instead of better and oftentimes produce results that are “laughably wrong.” For example, if you ask ChatGPT whether a certain over-the-counter cold medicine is safe for toddlers, it might confidently give you a made-up dosage or refer to a medication that isn’t available in Canada. This can lead to dangerous and life-threatening outcomes. Unlike a pediatrician or other healthcare professional, ChatGPT doesn’t necessarily ask follow-up questions, so it can’t catch misunderstandings or missing details.
Lacks Context. Every child and family is unique. ChatGPT doesn’t know your child’s personality, medical history, or home situation. It can’t see your worried face or concerned tone, so it relies on patterns, meaning it can miss important context. A sleep schedule that works for one child may not be practical for another (e.g., parents work shifts, or daycare starts before the recommended wake time), and medical symptoms can mean different things depending on your child’s history. While ChatGPT can remember information in ongoing conversations, that memory doesn’t carry over when you start a new one, so anything you shared earlier may not be considered later.
No Sources Provided. Unlike a pediatrician or other medical doctor who has a wealth of knowledge, textbooks, and scientific publications to gather evidence-based information from, you have no idea where ChatGPT got its suggestions from. This makes it hard to tell if the information is up-to-date, based on real research, or a “hallucination.” ChatGPT can also paraphrase information and in doing so, get it wrong.
Biases and Stereotypes. ChatGPT learns from what it’s fed, and unfortunately cultural, gendered, and racial stereotypes are part of its unsupervised learning. For example, when asking ChatGPT how Nurses dress, the response includes information about the need to tie their hair back or put it in a bun and no excessive jewellery or perfume—enforcing the gender stereotype that nurses are women. It’s easy for these biases to slip into parenting tips too. For example, if you ask about discipline, ChatGPT might promote Western culture practices, but not mention practices valued in yours.
Privacy. It’s important to be aware that all chatbots record and store data. You should avoid sharing personal and private information in prompts.
When it comes to the health and safety of children, AI should be used with caution.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Putting it all together, ChatGPT can be helpful for quick tips or ideas but it’s not a substitute for professional or personalized advice.
If you do use ChatGPT or other AI tools for parenting help, experts recommend treating it as a helper, not an authority. AI can be used to help spark ideas or get inspiration, not replace your judgment. Evaluate its suggestions based on your own understanding, experience, and what you know about your child, and recognize when there’s a need to consult a real expert or professional. After all, you’re the one who knows them best!
Here are some safe practices:
Use AI as a springboard. For example, you might ask ChatGPT for tips on toddler tantrums or homework tricks, but then think about how those fit with you and your child.
Fact-check advice. If you get health, medical, or safety suggestions—even simple things, like nutrition tips—verify them through a trusted source or speak to your healthcare provider. ChatGPT should never replace medical advice.
Trust your instincts. If an AI response feels off or doesn’t match what you know about your child, trust yourself—not AI. No chatbot can replace a parent’s intuition.
Protect your child’s privacy. Don’t feed ChatGPT or other AI tools sensitive details such as names, photos, or health information.
If you’re in need of parenting advice or support, your Employee and Family Assistance Program is available to help. As part of your EFAP services, Homewood Health offers Life Smart Coaching services, available by telephone. Whether you’re a new parent looking for information or support, or you need some expert coaching on parenting, our clinicians will walk you through the types of support you could benefit from, including personalized resources specific to your concerns.
Explore these additional resources to better understand the risks of using AI:
References
CHOC (25 June 2025) Should I use ChatGPT for my child’s health? Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Accessed on July 17 2025
Leslie-Miller CJ, Simon SL, Dean K, Mokhallait N and Cushing CC (2024) The critical need for expert oversight of ChatGPT: Prompt engineering for safeguarding child healthcare information. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 49(11):812-817. Accessed on 17 July 2025
Lynch BM (9 October 2024) Study: ChatGPT needs expert supervision to help parents with children’s health care information. The University of Kansas Department of Clinical Child Psychology. Accessed on 17 July 2025
Quan S, Du Y, Ding Y (2024) Young children and ChatGPT: Parents' use of ChatGPT in parenting. CHI '24: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. 1-7. Accessed on 17 July 2025
Silverman H (11 June 2025) I’m a mom who uses ChatGPT for help—here’s what I’m learning. Parents. Accessed 17 July 2025