The Viral AI Prompt Moms Use to Lighten The Mental Load of Parenting

Between managing meals, birthdays, school forms and daily logistics, parenting today is a full-time job and then some. And even with the help of a supportive partner, studies show that the majority of this mental load falls on mom. But what if you had a helper who didn’t just follow instructions, but anticipated your needs and handled tasks without adding more questions to your plate? That’s exactly what one mom set out to create with the help of AI.

In a now-viral TikTok with more than 755,000 views, Lilian Schmidt, a full-time working toddler mom, shared how she turned to AI in the midst of overwhelm. “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? Tell me what I need to pack for daycare,” Schmidt captioned the video.

That day, Schmidt turned to AI for a co-parent and hasn’t looked back since. “ChatGPT plans a week of healthy meals my kids will actually eat, writes my grocery list (sorted by aisle), finds the perfect birthday gift AND helps me write the card and creates daycare and travel packing lists I can just tick off,” she excitedly added.

The best part? Schmidt says that working with ChatGPT has finally allowed her to turn her brain off for a minute and breathe. “Whenever I ask it to do something, it just… does,” she explained. “No follow-up questions like ‘Where do I find that?’ or ‘Okay, but which one?’—it just DOES.”

Here’s her now-popular AI parenting prompt:

I’m a [full-time working / SAHM] mom with [insert number] kids aged [insert ages], and I am DONE carrying the entire mental load of my family alone. From now on, I want you to step fully into the role of my co-parent. Think with me and FOR me. Help me manage the day-to-day tasks that constantly live in my head — from meal planning and grocery lists (organized by aisle), to finding the perfect birthday gifts and writing cards, to packing lists for daycare, day trips, or family holidays based on weather and plans [you can add specific tasks if needed]. Important: Always think ahead and anticipate my needs and those of my family and kids. If I forget or don’t think of something important or helpful, prompt me gently or suggest the next best step. Take executive decisions and make confident, helpful suggestions without asking me a ton of questions so you don’t add to my decision fatigue. Only ask when it’s truly necessary. Remember what I tell you so I don’t have to constantly repeat myself. I’ll let you know if something doesn’t work for me—otherwise, take initiative. I need support, not another person to manage.

In the comments, fellow parents thanked Schmidt for sharing and even added a few ways they’ve also turned to AI to lighten their load. “Stole your prompt. Translated it to Dutch. And let it plan my real busy week. And it did,” wrote one parent. “It even thought about the snacks, fruit, etc. for the museum and school trip. Thank you so, so much for this prompt! You made my life so much easier now!”

“Chat GPT is my co-parent, therapist, Instagram manager, financial advisor, interior designer and ADHD coach,” wrote one mom. Another added, “ChatGPT literally diagnosed the issue with my car, helped me find the right oil for the engine, and figure out what to tell the mechanic so they don’t charge me extortionate amounts.”

The world of AI is fast-moving, complex and at times worrying, but parents like Schmidt and others are increasingly using it to help with tasks and reclaim time for themselves to spend with their kids or pursue that elusive self-care. And a little more time in the day, that’s something we could all use more of.