Raising Thinkers in the Age of AI: What Our Homeschool Kids Really Need to Learn

Everywhere you turn, people are talking about how AI is reshaping the future: Automating jobs, writing essays, even generating lesson plans. It’s exciting, yes—but also kind of dizzying. As a homeschool mum, I’ve found myself wondering: Am I teaching the right things? Will my kids be ready for a world where infinite knowledge is at their fingertips, and skills are constantly evolving?

And if you’ve felt this too, pull up a chair. Grab your favourite drink and let’s chat.

What Are We Really Preparing Them For?

In conversations with other homeschoolers and my late-night research spirals, one truth keeps coming up: the jobs of tomorrow are changing fast. A recent report from the World Economic Forum said that 44% of workers’ core skills are expected to change by 2027. And according to a 2023 study by McKinsey, AI could automate up to 30% of hours worked across the economy by 2030.

But rather than panic, I’ve started thinking: what can we focus on that won’t be outdated in five years? What are the skills that will always matter, no matter what tools our kids are using?

Here’s what I’ve landed on, both from research and trial-and-error in our own homeschool. These are the areas I’m leaning into now to raise not just students, but thinkers.

AI can spit out content, but it can’t dream.

Instead of just asking my kids to finish worksheets or answer questions, I’m challenging them to make things. Stories. Solutions. Songs. Whatever their brains dream up. Creativity isn’t just for artists - it’s how we learn to solve problems.

In our house, creativity is becoming a rhythm, not just a subject.

One morning a week, we do what we call a "make and break session." I give the kids a challenge - something like “design a tool to help someone with one hand tie their shoes” or “invent a new kind of animal habitat.” They can sketch, build with LEGO, use recycled materials - whatever they want. And often, we’ll bring in AI as a collaborator: we might ask it to list strange inventions from history, or to generate silly creature descriptions as a springboard.

We also do “story remix” days, where we take a classic tale and ask ChatGPT to retell it in a different genre. Then the kids illustrate it, change the ending, or turn it into a short play. My daughter rewrote Little Red Riding Hood as a sci-fi and insisted on creating a scene and building props out of cardboard and glitter glue to turn it into a performance.

These aren’t polished portfolio pieces - they’re messy, hilarious, and usually end with glitter on the dog. But they’ve taught my kids that their ideas matter. That they can reshape things. That imagination is a muscle worth building.

Here’s what I’m trying:

• Open-ended projects where there's no "right" answer.

• Creative storytelling prompts (some co-written with AI, some hand-drawn).

• Building inventions from recycled materials or natural objects.

• Using AI as a brainstorming buddy, not a replacement for thinking.

• Recording these moments in Freely - because they’re just as valuable as math facts.

"Creativity is intelligence having fun." — Albert Einstein

2. Critical Thinking & Skepticism

In a world of instant answers, asking great questions is a superpower.

There’s A LOT of talk about critical thinking these days. It’s what I like to call a buzzword and everyone has a different definition, and sometimes it starts to feel too big or abstract to pin down. But here’s the thing: most homeschoolers are already doing this. We ask questions. We compare sources. We talk through big ideas with our kids.

So I want to take the pressure off. Critical thinking isn’t some extra subject you need to “add.” If you’re already having conversations, reading diverse books, or even just pausing to ask, “What do you think?” - you’re doing it.

That said, if you’ve always followed a very open-and-go style curriculum and want to weave in a little more of this intentional questioning, it might be time to stretch into new territory. It doesn’t need to be complicated.

We’ve been practicing what I call "bias spotting" looking at ads, AI responses, even textbook language, and asking: What’s assumed here? What’s left out?

A few things we’ve tried:

• Comparing how different AI tools answer the same question.

• Asking kids to critique an AI-generated story: What worked? What felt off?

• Turning media analysis into a family dinner game: "What's the hidden message?"

"The illiterate of the 21st century won't be those who can't read and write, but those who can't learn, unlearn, and relearn." — Alvin Toffler

3. Life & Soft Skills

Technology evolves. Being human never goes out of style.

It’s easy to focus on academics (and yes, those matter!) but I’ve found myself more and more drawn to teaching what we call “life fluencies”: managing time, resolving conflict, leading a project, setting boundaries.

In Freely Online Homeschool Planner, we’ve started building in little moments for these: like letting my eldest help plan and manage his week, using the Student Login feature. Assigning a rotating “kitchen captain” who learns to meal plan and manage a shopping list for the week with a budget.

Try adding in:

• Rotating life-skill themes: budgeting, first aid, respectful disagreement, etc.

• Self-led planning with Freely’s student login.

• Regular check-ins to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and why.

"Character, not curriculum, determines a child's future." — Charlotte Mason

4. Growth Mindset & Flexibility

The only constant is change—and that’s okay.

I used to think I had to get every subject “covered” to be a good home educator. But I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that teaching my kids how to learn and adapt is far more valuable than trying to squeeze all the academics in.

Now, when a plan falls apart, we debrief it. When something goes sideways, we talk about what we learned. And Freely Homeschool Planner App has become a huge part of that, because we can track progress even when the path wasn’t straight.

Some things I’m leaning into:

• Reflecting on what we learned each week, not just what we did.

• Naming and celebrating “failures” as evidence of effort.

• Using Freely to track growth over time—not just outcomes.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." — Japanese Proverb

You Don’t Need All the Answers—Just the Right Questions

We can’t predict every challenge our kids will face. But we can raise curious, thoughtful, creative humans who know how to think critically and adapt bravely.

If this resonates with you, I’ve bundled up everything I’ve been exploring into a resource you can use right now:

The Skills That Matter Homeschool Guide is now available free in the Freebie library

• There are elementary + high school checklists to choose from

• The Elementary Checklist: Offers a gentle, inspiring guide to help you notice and nurture the life skills your child is already growing, one thoughtful moment at a time.

  The High School Checklist: A future-facing checklist to help your teen practice thinking clearly, adapting confidently, and growing into the person they’re becoming.

  ➡ Download it now from the Freebie Library