1. “Ideal overnight house temperature for kids (March)”

One of the universal parenting anxieties: are my children too hot or too cold while they sleep?

In March, that question becomes particularly confusing because the weather can really flip around. I asked ChatGPT for a simple answer based on whole-family sleep guidance, and it confirmed what sleep experts generally recommend: around 60-68°F (16-20°C) is considered a safe and comfortable room temperature for children.

Not groundbreaking information, but it scratched an itch for info. 

2. “How to turn an M&S summer gingham school dress into Dorothy’s pinafore”

Covered above. The story nobody asked for, this World Book Day. 

3. “How long until I should pick a 7-year-old up from a playdate”

Parenting etiquette questions are a category of their own. And yes, I’m extra. I like to know what I’m doing and what’s reasonable, even if it’s according to an AI bot. 

Drop-off playdates come with an unspoken social contract: don’t be the loser Mom arriving too early, don’t accidentally overstay your welcome.

When I asked ChatGPT, the advice was reassuringly normal: two to three hours is typical for this age, unless the host parent suggests otherwise.

Basically, AI confirmed what most parents suspect but still second-guess. We did 2.5 hours, and that was perfect.

4. “Optimum bedtime for a 5- and 7-year-old”

Bedtime is one of those topics where everyone has an opinion.

The answer ChatGPT returned, based on general paediatric sleep guidance, was that most children aged 5-7 need 9-11 hours of sleep per night, which usually translates to a bedtime somewhere between 7 and 8PM, depending on wake-up times.

Did this stop my children from requesting water, snacks, and emotional life updates after lights-out?

Sadly, no.

But it did reassure me that we’re broadly on track. I’ve prompted this many times since, all in the same chat of course, depending on what we’ve got on the next day, that day’s wake-up time, etc. 

And it really helps me map out bedtime for two, and gives me that mandate to get the kids upstairs by 7PM, even if they moan about it. 

5. “How much spaghetti per child for dinner”

Like I said, high stakes. Or not. 

Too little, and someone is hungry an hour later. Too much and you’re scraping uneaten spaghetti into the bin.

The rule ChatGPT gave me was simple: around 50-75 grams of dried pasta per child depending on appetite.

I now measure pasta by eye, having weighed it out like that a few times. And enjoy significantly fewer leftovers.

6. “Get my two kids (5 and 7) through norovirus—they both have it, so do I and my husband is away this week. It’s a school week and I only want you to ask essential questions to get us back on our feet again.”

This was the moment I realized – viscerally – how useful AI can be during parenting emergencies.

Everyone in the house had norovirus. Me included. My husband was away. It was not okay. 

Through my vomitous haze (apparent in the questionable phrasing above) I asked ChatGPT to create a simple recovery plan with timings: hydration, rest, when to try food again and when children could realistically return to school.

It felt like having a calm voice of reason when my brain wasn’t functioning properly. Because I’d genuinely considered calling the police at one point. 

7. Trigger warning: “How to clean dried sick from carpet”

If you know, you know.

Parenting includes many beautiful moments. This is not one of them.

At some point, every parent ends up Googling exactly this question. My AI version involved instructions for softening dried residue, using bicarbonate of soda, and avoiding harsh scrubbing that damages carpet fibres.

Was it glamorous?

No.

Was it effective?

Absolutely. And bear in mind, I was sick too whilst doing this. I am humble, and I love ChatGPT for helping me scrape up sick, while sick.