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Your Teen's First Gig: Thriving in the AI Economy

As summer approaches, I've been reminiscing about my youthful summer adventures—those first jobs and initial attempts at entrepreneurship. I'll dive into my teenage entrepreneurial journey in another post. Given the dramatic shifts in work and entrepreneurship today, I’ve been pondering the opportunities available to our teenagers and even younger adolescents. Many families are looking forward to much-needed rest and vacations, but if you’re among the parents navigating this rapidly evolving work landscape and aiming to ensure your children thrive and remain happy this summer, this post is for you.

While we trust schools to guide our children, they face their own unprecedented challenges. They're planning year-end activities and grappling with how to strategically incorporate AI into education—more planning than ever before. However, as your child's first and most influential teacher, the responsibility ultimately rests with you. Parents must step up more intentionally than ever, guiding and creating meaningful opportunities for their children's growth. To be frank with you, schools should be seen as consultants, because no one knows your child's best opportunities better than you.

Let’s consider a scenario many families might encounter this summer. Admittedly, this won't reflect everyone's reality, but imagine a typical middle-class family, with attentive, hands-on parents who are also navigating the complexities of AI-driven changes. Let’s call our budding  teen Richard.

IDEAS WITH CONSEQUENCES

Here are a few of my favorite recent reads that have interesting ideas with consequences. I hope you enjoy them.

#1 Can AI Be Trusted?

Can AI be trusted in schools? In wealthier countries, it's still under review (and underperforming), but in Nigeria, AI just pulled off a magic trick: helping students make two years of learning gains in six weeks. Using Microsoft’s Copilot in after-school sessions, students improved grammar and writing skills dramatically. The twist? The chatbot might just be smarter than we thought—or our classrooms weaker than we admit. With low cost and high impact, AI may be education’s unsung hero in underserved areas. Just don’t expect it to ace Macbeth essays... yet. A positive point for AI this week at least in this scenario. However, let’s not forget the research I shared with you months ago with great caution.

“Can AI Be Trusted in Schools?” The Economist, 30 May 2025,

#2 “97: No-one Is Talking About This!” – Emotionally Intelligent Parenting with Stephanie Pinto

In this enlightening podcast episode, Stephanie Pinto addresses a real-life scenario where a mother sought advice online after a heated exchange with her 10-year-old daughter. The episode critiques the punitive responses the mother received and advocates for an emotionally intelligent approach to parenting. Pinto emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying emotions driving children's behaviors and offers strategies for parents to respond with empathy and connection rather than punishment. This episode serves as a reminder that fostering emotional intelligence in children begins with emotionally aware parenting which can be challenging in our world constant change and challenges.

Pinto, Stephanie. “97: No-One Is Talking About This!” Emotionally Intelligent Parenting with Stephanie Pinto, 2025

#3 What does 30% 'right parenting' mean, and how does it help kids and their parents?

Striving for perfection in parenting can be overwhelming, but the concept of "30% right parenting," introduced by psychologist Donald Winnicott, offers a refreshing perspective. It suggests that consistently meeting a child's emotional needs just 30% of the time is sufficient for healthy development. This approach emphasizes the importance of timely, attuned responses over constant perfection, allowing children to build resilience through minor failures and recoveries. For parents, it alleviates the guilt associated with striving for flawlessness, promoting a more forgiving and human approach to parenting. Ultimately, it's the consistent, loving presence that nurtures a child's sense of security and self-worth.

“What Does 30% 'Right Parenting' Mean, and How Does It Help Kids and Their Parents?” The Times of India, 6 June 2025,

Cognitive Coaching Strategy: Week 2 CONSCIOUSNESS

Last week, I introduced the cognitive coaching strategy: Consciousness. This week will focus on: Craftsmanship

Analyzing Causal Factors through the 5 States of Mind
Week Two focus: CONSCIOUSNESS

YOUR TASK THIS WEEK:

Ask your child to share a piece of work they’re currently working on that’s currently in progress or recently completed. Start a conversation around any aspect of the work using the following questions:

Example: I see that you are working on your PYP Exhibition project

Here are 4 questions to add to your toolkit - worth memorising

• How might you account for this?
  (Great question for a decision that has not been executed yet when you noticie a potential problem that might arise)

• How did you make decisions about …?

• How does thes compare to how you planned it?

• How did you know to do that?
  (Great question to have your kid explain a successful decision to notice the thought process that led to a decision)

Purpose: This strategy will encourage your child to practice self-directed learning by using observable data and communicating in ways that support independent thinking. These questions focus on craftsmanship meaning thinking about the thinking that went into the choices made throughout the project. These questions help make thinking visible to your kid as explanations uncover the reasons behind the decisions and choices made while working on the project. At the end of the conversation, you could even ask ¨why do you think I asked you a question about how you made decisions about X?”

The more you use it, the more familiar your kid will become with self-directed learning and the questions to use when working independently or in groups. This will certainly sharpen critical thinking skills while building a powerful mental muscle to self-direct one’s on mind over time.

I hope this helps. Post it on the fridge to refer to this list often. Leave it in the car near the dashboard for the morning school drives. Those are great moments to connect and coach the skills that are priceless for today and tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts in the survey.

I hope you take the time to read through the Big Idea this week. It is different from my usual articles. I thought taking a look at a real life scenario by zooming into the life of a potential kid in our EFC community. Let me know your thoughts, wonderings, and what you are interested in learning more about as we start this summer.

I am re-reading Anxious Generation. I will be posting my reflections starting next week. If you would like to read along. Grad a copy. It is a must read for any parent raising a kid in our social-frenzied culture today. You will not regret it.

I had some issues with the issue last week due to a server side issue with Beehiiv. I am still sorting our my domain email. Until then, you can share feedback which I would LOVE TO HAVE THIS WEEK at [email protected]

Don’t be shy….drop a line or two. I would really really really appreciate feedback on the newsletter. Did I say really 3X?

See you next week. Let’s continue to simplify the complex.

With love from Luxembourg,

P.S. What did you think of HugBot Heal thyself last week?