A Mother of Three Explains What Most Parents Miss About AI

Is screen time really the problem, or should parents be paying more attention to what their children are actually doing on their devices? In this episode of Raising Builders Podcast, I speak with Shifat, a mother of three and former network engineer, about raising children in the age of AI. Her 12-year-old daughter recently built Biota, an AI-powered app that helps people identify plants and understand how to care for them. The idea came from a simple problem at home: her mother's plants kept dying. But what interested me most wasn't just the app. Shifat noticed changes in her daughter's concentration, motivation and independence. She explains how her daughter now takes more responsibility for her work and why she believes learning to build something meaningful has made a difference. We also talk about screen time, the role of AI in children's education, teaching financial responsibility, discovering children's natural talents and why parents need to spend more time understanding what their children enjoy. One of the most interesting parts of our conversation is Shifat's approach to teaching her children about money. Every Saturday, she gives them a small budget and lets them figure out how to spend it. Sometimes they even borrow from each other. It's a simple example of how children can learn to make decisions, solve problems and understand the value of money through everyday experiences. We also discuss why learning AI isn't necessarily about becoming a programmer. It's about preparing children to think independently, adapt to change and solve problems, whatever career they eventually choose. If you're a parent thinking about your child's screen time, education or future in an AI-driven world, I hope this conversation gives you something useful to take away. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction and highlights 01:47 Meet Shifat, a mother of three 02:45 Why she chose AI education for her daughter 04:15 How her 12-year-old built an AI-powered app 05:43 Why children learn better when solving real problems 07:13 Teaching entrepreneurship and business planning 09:09 How her daughter's concentration improved 11:40 Screen time and academic performance 13:26 Should children have phones and iPads? 14:08 Is screen time really the problem? 15:03 Are schools preparing children for AI? 17:12 Teaching children to create rather than consume 17:36 Should children learn about money and entrepreneurship? 19:54 Teaching children the meaning of "I can't afford it" 21:05 Financial literacy and independence 23:15 Discovering children's interests beyond technology 25:29 Why parents shouldn't impose their ambitions on children 27:21 How schools can nurture individual talents 30:27 Finding real problems worth solving 32:32 Teaching children to make independent decisions 33:34 Why AI skills matter beyond technology careers 36:44 Are parents too protective about AI? 37:17 Mark Zuckerberg, education and productive screen time 40:38 Teaching responsibility through everyday activities 41:51 A mother's £2 budgeting lesson 44:02 What skills will children need in the AI age? 46:19 Why problem-solving matters beyond coding 47:22 Spending more time understanding our children 49:29 Building something meaningful at age 12 51:01 Balancing the opportunities and risks of AI 52:12 Final thoughts and advice for parents ABOUT RAISING BUILDERS PODCAST Raising Builders is a podcast where I speak with parents, educators, entrepreneurs and people who are thinking seriously about how we raise the next generation. We explore parenting, education, AI, entrepreneurship, critical thinking and the skills our children will need in a changing world. I'm Muhammad Rahman, founder of PsyntaxLabs Academy and a software engineer with over 20 years of experience. ABOUT PSYNTAXLABS ACADEMY At PsyntaxLabs Academy, we work with young people aged 11–19, helping them identify real problems, build working products using AI and coding, test their ideas with real users and learn entrepreneurship. The goal isn't simply to teach children another technology. It's to help them become independent thinkers who can create something useful for others. Learn more: https://academy.psyntaxlabs.com/ APPLY TO BE A GUEST If you're a parent, educator, entrepreneur or someone with an interesting perspective on raising children, we'd love to hear from you. Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/262903626330049 I'd also love to hear your thoughts. When your child spends time on a computer or tablet, are you more concerned about how long they're using it or what they're actually doing? Share your experience in the comments. Subscribe to Raising Builders Podcast for more conversations about parenting, AI, education and raising the next generation. #RaisingBuilders #AIForKids #Parenting #ScreenTime #FutureOfEducation