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Mum who 'co-parents her child with ChatGPT' sparks fiery internet debate

OpenAI introduces 'study mode' in ChatGPT to support students
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Parenting just got a seriously modern upgrade — and no, we’re not talking about the latest pram or gadget. A mum has gone viral on TikTok for 'co-parenting' her three-year-old with ChatGPT.

Lilian Schmidt (@heylilianschmidt) kicked off sharing her nifty parenting hacks and AI-powered prompts earlier this year, quickly building a community of over 21,000 followers who swear her tips make the daily chaos feel a bit more manageable.

Lilian, a corporate brand strategist living in Zurich, Switzerland, candidly updates her followers on how she uses the platform to her advantage.

In her very first video back in April, she admitted that while she “knows nothing about TikTok,” her original goal was to use ChatGPT as a personal TikTok growth assistant to reach her first 1,000 followers.

It wasn’t until May that she really found her groove with a parenting focus, featuring her daughter and writing: “I wanna steal your best ChatGPT prompts and AI hacks that make toddler mom life 10x easier!”

Since then, Lilian has been sharing prompts designed to solve what she calls “97% of the mental load” of parenting. These range from creating dinners out of scraps, to writing bedtime stories, and fixing tricky sleep routines.

"As a full-time working toddler mom, life moves FAST. And even with a loving, supportive partner I still often feel like the default parent," she explained in one of her captions. "Four months ago, I hit a breaking point and was like: 'Wouldn’t it be nice for a change if I could just turn my brain off.'"

She added: "That day, I turned ChatGPT into my co-parent - and my life got 10x easier."


@heylilianschmidt

The prompt that made my mom life 10x easier👇 As a full-time working toddler mom, life moves FAST. And even with a loving, supportive partner I still often feel like the default parent. Because the mental load? Mostly mine. Four months ago, I hit a breaking point and was like: „Wouldn’t it be nice for a change if I could just turn my brain off and say things like: „What’s for dinner?“ „What should we get Emma for her birthday?“ „Just tell me what I need to pack for daycare and I’ll do it“ „Oh there’s no grocery list yet? How will I know what to buy?“ That day, I turned ChatGPT into my co-parent - and my life got 10x easier. Now, ChatGPT… 🥘 plans a week of healthy meals my kids will actually eat 🛒 writes the grocery list - sorted by aisle 🎁 finds the perfect birthday gift AND helps me write the card 🎒 creates daycare and travel packing lists I can just tick off 🧘‍♀️ lets me finally turn my brain OFF for a minute and breeeeeathe 😮‍💨 And the best part? Whenever I ask it to something, it just… does. No follow-up questions like „Where do I find that?“ or „Okay, but which one?“ - it just DOES 😅 If you’re drowning in mom life and want a co-parent who never forgets the sunscreen or asks you to write things down, you’ll find the exact prompts in the comments! 🫶 This one’s a game changer, mama ❤️ #coparenting #chatgpt #chatgptformoms #mentalload #workingmom #toddlermom #sahmlife #defaultparent

It didn’t take long for people to jump in, with many thanking Lilian for her useful advice.

“ChatGPT is my co-parent, therapist, Instagram manager, financial advisor, interior designer and ADHD coach,” one user humoured, while another shared, “ChatGPT literally helped me with breastfeeding, and how to decorate my daughter birthday cake.”

Meanwhile, a third chimed in: “I've never used ChatGPT before, but you're damn sure I'm about to try this, anything for an easier life.”

However, not everyone was on board. Responding to a New York Post article about Lilian on X/Twitter, one commenter fired back “Why not co-parent with the child's ACTUAL FATHER,” while another simply quipped, “Yeah, don't do this.”

Many more believed it had to be "rage bait".

Whether you’re all in or raising an eyebrow, one thing’s clear — parenting in the age of AI is anything but ordinary.

Indy100 reached out to Lilian for comment

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