Clear, careful writing about how AI is changing childhood: the good, the risky, and what kids around the world are actually doing with it. From the team behind Mentus AI.https://mentusai.com/https://mentusai.com/blog/what-kids-actually-do-with-ai-chatbots/https://mentusai.com/blog/what-kids-actually-do-with-ai-chatbots/Not homework shortcuts, mostly. A look at how children are really using AI chatbots at home and school, and what parents can do about it.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenchatbotsparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/ai-toys-talking-teddy-bears/https://mentusai.com/blog/ai-toys-talking-teddy-bears/An AI teddy bear drifted into explicit talk, and another toy exposed 50,000 children's chats. What parents should know about AI toys before buying one.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenonline safetyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/when-ai-companions-are-hard-to-quit/https://mentusai.com/blog/when-ai-companions-are-hard-to-quit/Most teens use AI companions for fun and creativity, not romance. The ones who get stuck are often the first to say so, if we listen.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenchatbotsonline safetyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/kids-adopting-ai-faster-than-adults/https://mentusai.com/blog/kids-adopting-ai-faster-than-adults/A UNICEF study of 20 million children across 10 countries finds kids adopting AI far faster than adults, and surprisingly clear-eyed about its risks.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenonline safetyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/school-deepfakes-classmate-problem/https://mentusai.com/blog/school-deepfakes-classmate-problem/AI nudify apps have made deepfake abuse a classmate problem in schools, and most parent safety talks aim at the wrong threat. What actually helps.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTonline safetyAI and childrenparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/kids-cant-switch-off-google-ai-answers/https://mentusai.com/blog/kids-cant-switch-off-google-ai-answers/A July 2026 safety review found Google's AI search answers pose an unacceptable risk to kids, and parents can't turn them off. What to actually do.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTonline safetyAI and childrenAI in the classroomparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/schools-teaching-ai-before-rules/https://mentusai.com/blog/schools-teaching-ai-before-rules/Nearly every student already uses AI, but most schools still have no formal rules for it. Here is what parents should actually ask their child's school.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in the classroomAI and childrenAI literacyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/teens-ask-chatbots-mental-health/https://mentusai.com/blog/teens-ask-chatbots-mental-health/A fifth of young people now ask AI chatbots for mental health advice, and most tell no one. The worry is less the advice than the secrecy.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenchatbotsparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/cognitive-debt-kids-and-ai/https://mentusai.com/blog/cognitive-debt-kids-and-ai/The loudest worry about kids and AI is cheating. The quieter, better-evidenced one is cognitive debt: what a young brain loses skipping the hard part.Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenAI in the classroomparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/parents-underestimate-kids-ai-use/https://mentusai.com/blog/parents-underestimate-kids-ai-use/New 2026 research finds parents guess their children use generative AI far less than kids say they do. Why the gap matters, and how to close it.Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenonline safetyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/ai-chatbot-laws-for-kids/https://mentusai.com/blog/ai-chatbot-laws-for-kids/In 2026 a wave of state and federal laws set out to restrict AI companion chatbots for minors. Here is what they cover, and what they leave to parents.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenchatbotsonline safetyparentinghttps://mentusai.com/blog/when-ai-helps-kids-learn/https://mentusai.com/blog/when-ai-helps-kids-learn/New research finds an AI that hands kids the answers can leave them worse off than no AI at all. What helps is a tool that makes them think.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI and childrenAI in the classroomchatbots