For many working moms, back to school means back to the grind – earlier mornings, stricter routines, more complicated calendars, more juggling in general. In 2024 working moms have a new tool in their toolkit to help manage the back-to-school demands – generative AI.

GenAI refresher

Generative AI (GenAI) is artificial intelligence that creates something new, including text, images, music, or other forms of media, based on patterns and knowledge it has learned from existing data. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude are all generative AI tools you may be familiar with, whether or not you have tried them. All of these tools have free options available via website or app. To use advanced features, a subscription may required and averages about $20 a month for the tools mentioned.

GenAI for back-to-school ideas

What does it mean that working moms have a new tool in their toolkit? Some of GenAI’s best skills are creating content, planning and organizing, brainstorming, and creating strategies – which makes it a perfect partner for many back-to-school needs. Some of the ways GenAI can be used to simplify back-to-school for moms include:

• Planning Lunches: Let GenAI suggest weekly meal plans and lunchbox ideas based on your family’s dietary preferences and nutritional needs to start the year on the right track, or get a printable pdf of lunch ideas to reference throughout the year.  
• Researching Activities: Let GenAI research afterschool and weekend sports and activities based on kids’ interests and local availability, applying locations and reviews to get the best in your area. 
• Combining PDFs of Different Calendars: Create a single, streamlined school calendar with all your kids’ important dates by combining PDFs using GenAI – and add adult work calendars too to identify when extra childcare coverage is needed. 
• Combining School Supply Shopping List PDFs: Similar to combining calendars, use GenAI to combine school supply shopping lists into a single, unified stream.
• Drafting Intro Emails: Generate ready-to-send emails for teachers and school admins introducing your family and outlining any special considerations for your child or children, like recent family events or medical needs.
• Sorting Sleep Schedules: Sleep schedules tend to slip a bit during the summer. Let GenAI recommend a shift in routine to get back to earlier mornings and evenings.
• Creating New School Year Traditions: Get GenAI ideas to memorialize this special, hectic time of year by setting special family traditions, like special breakfasts or books to read.  
• Developing Strategies to Ease Back-to-School Jitters: Get new ideas to calm back-to-school jitters for kids of all ages (and parents too!) from GenAI to start things off smoothly.

Prompt refresher

It’s not enough that working moms have a new tool in their toolkit. You know how to use it! The trick to getting the most out of AI is your prompt. “Prompt” is the term used to describe the specific instruction or input given to a generative AI tool. Good prompts include the task assigned to the AI tool and some context around it. Great prompts include the preferred output format, the desired tone, and any constraints.  

Sample GenAI prompts for back-to-school

• Calendar merge prompt: You are a working mom with kids at two different schools planning for the new school year. Combine these two school calendars into a single list, noting when the days off differ to help plan childcare coverage. 
  • Works well with: ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot
  • Mom tip: gather all your calendars in the form of pdfs before starting
• Lunch planning prompt: I need a printable list of at least fifteen lunch ideas for kids ages [INSERT AGES]. I usually keep [INSERT LUNCH STAPLES] on hand. All lunches need a protein, starch, fruit, veggie, and small treat in them. Put the output in a table that fits on a single page, with ten ideas based on what I have on hand and five ideas with new proteins and starches. Make the lunches fun, tasty and cute, no repeats. No tree nuts, and lunches must be safe at room temperature; no microwaves or refrigerators available.
  • Works well with: any GenAI tool
  • Mom tip: use voice-to-text to list all the lunch items you have in your pantry and fridge to save time typing
• Bed-time story prompt: Write a bedtime story for three little girls for the night before their first day of school. Make the story fun and upbeat to ease any back-to-school jitters. Let them know that we will be connected in our hearts. Make it less than five minutes read out loud with a happy ending. Nothing scary.
  • Works well with: Any GenAI tool
  • Mom tip: use an image generation tool like OpenAI’s DALL-E to create an image to accompany the story

Learn more

You’re thrilled to know that working moms have a new tool in their toolkit! Now you want more information about Generative AI and how moms can use it to delegate tasks that drain them and spend time doing things they love! Visit www.aiempoweredmom.com or follow AI-Empowered Mom on Instagram.  

GenAI disclaimer

This information is intended solely for illustrative and educational purposes. Actual results and outcomes when using generative AI may vary. AI-Empowered Mom LLC bears no responsibility for outcomes, consequences, or potential issues that may arise from the use of generative AI. Users are advised to exercise caution and use their best judgment when applying these prompts in real life.

Sarah Dooley, AI-Empowered Mom founder, is the mom of three daughters who works in technology in Austin, TX. She uses generative AI in her work, both inside and outside the home, to save time and increase efficiency so she can do more of the things she loves. She created AI-Empowered Mom to help moms, carers, and allies make their time count using generative AI.