Our whole world has practically moved online. Banking, shopping, even making friends—it’s going digital. And our kids? They’re right in the thick of it, learning, chatting, and even doing their math homework through screens. Digital skills are quickly becoming as essential as learning to ride a bike, and we know they’re going to need them. The good news is they don’t need to become “tech geniuses” overnight. What they do need is space to learn and experiment, and the confidence to do it without the pressure to be perfect.
So, if you’re feeling like you’re becoming the family’s unofficial tech coach, here are some practical tips to help your kiddos dive into digital skills without losing their curiosity, excitement, and fearlessness along the way.
Let Curiosity Lead the Way
There’s a reason kids ask endless questions. They want to know why the sky is blue, how bread rises, and, of course, why dogs bark and cats meow. And no, unfortunately, the answer to the endless whys is not “because I said so”… as much as our parents may have relied upon it! But it’s that exact high level of curiosity that’s pure gold for learning tech. When we encourage kids to dive into tech with an open mind instead of a need to “get it right,” they’re set up to discover, mess around, and enjoy the process. As are you, so don’t feel like you have to be a tech guru yourself, either — because as tech evolves at such a rapid pace, we are all constantly learning what´s the latest and new!
Parent Tip: If your kids are obsessed with a new drawing app or tinkering with a new game, don’t worry about being clueless—lean into it! Ask them to show you what they’re up to and get them talking about it. It’s a win-win: they love to teach, and you get a front-row seat to how fast they’re picking things up. Learning together is such an underrated parental flex when it comes to digital tech, and so much more. It’s the willingness and openness on your part that packs the punch.
Genie Insight: Genie’s got your back with easy, low-key activities that make exploring tech a natural part of their learning. The app offers ideas that spark curiosity without turning it into another “task,” so you can let them lead and explore at their own pace.
Show Them Real-Life Uses (It’s Not Just for Coders!)
When people talk about being “tech savvy,” it sometimes sounds like our kids need to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. But tech is way more than coding—it’s in our photos, family recipes, and every online conversation. The more kids see tech as a helpful — and accessible — tool for all kinds of things, the more open they’ll be to learning without making it pressured or all about being the “best” at it.
Parent Tip: Find a project that connects tech with something your kids love. Got an animal fanatic? Help them create a little slideshow or research different species online. Art lovers? Try a beginner-friendly digital drawing app. When incorporating tech is connected to something they’re already crazy about, it doesn’t feel like “learning”—it’s just fun.
Genie Insight: Genie makes this easy by curating activities based on your child’s interests, whether that’s animals, art, or science. The goal is to help tech feel practical and meaningful—no coding bootcamp required.
Embrace the Beautiful Mess of Mistakes
If there’s one thing that holds kids back, it’s the idea that they have to get everything “just right” the first time. Heck, half the fun is trying something and seeing what goes right (or hilariously wrong). So go ahead, jump in with them, and make a few good mistakes of your own. It’s all about showing them that diving in and engaging in the process is just as important as the result.
Parent Tip: Try learning something new with them, and don’t be afraid to mess it up! Whether you’re giving a coding game a shot or tinkering with a video-editing app, you can laugh about it together when things go sideways. When your kids see you rolling with the punches, they’ll feel more confident doing the same as they navigate the learning curve.
Genie Insight: Genie includes easy, low-pressure activities designed for learning through trial and error. No expert skills or prior knowledge needed—just a willingness to dive in, try, and figure things out together.
Break Conquering Tech Skills Down into Small Wins
We’ve all been there: you want to learn something now, but it takes about 10 steps longer than expected. Kids feel the same way, and it can be tough to stay motivated when tech learning feels like one big mountain to climb. Breaking things down into small wins—like inserting a picture into a doc or creating a family recipe online—keeps the excitement rolling without the overwhelm.
Parent Tip: Choose a mini-project with a clear goal, like setting up a digital family cookbook and adding a new recipe to it together each week. Celebrate every step, from choosing a font to finding the perfect photo. Kids love those “I did it!” moments, and each little win fuels their confidence for tackling the next step with renewed enthusiasm.
Genie Insight: Genie’s activities are designed to make learning feel like a series of small, rewarding steps. Every week, Genie can serve up bite-sized projects to keep kids building skills naturally, helping tech feel approachable, not overwhelming.
Keep the Online Safety and Digital Literacy Chats Casual
Teaching our kids tech skills isn’t just about the “how”—it’s about the “why,” too. Online safety and digital literacy are musts, but they don’t have to feel like lectures. Just having little conversations about what’s happening on their screen and why can make a big impact on their understanding.
Parent Tip: The next time you’re scrolling through something online, ask, “What do you think about this?” or “Why do you think someone shared this?” These casual questions spark critical thinking without any need for big talks, or the subsequent eye rolls that inevitably follow! Plus, it builds their digital confidence and helps them feel like they are savvy about what’s out there.
Genie Insight: From online safety to fact-checking, Genie is designed to help guide your child through the digital world in a way that feels natural, and is kid-led.
Celebrate the Effort, Not Just the Result
With tech, it’s tempting to focus on the “end product”—the perfect video, the well-coded game. But it’s the journey that matters most. By celebrating their efforts and sticking with them through the messy middle, we can help our kids focus on learning, not just impressing others. They’ll build confidence in their ability to try, solve, and stick with things, which counts way more than any final product ever could.
Parent Tip: Instead of asking if they’re done or if it’s “right,” try saying things like, “I love how hard you worked on that!” or “You stuck with it—awesome job!” They’ll be proud of what they accomplished, and it reminds them that persistence is just as important as hitting the finish line.
The Real Win
Tech skills are important, but teaching kids to enjoy the process, stay curious, and take on challenges with confidence? That’s the real win. By making tech time low-pressure, celebrating each small win, and staying with them through every bump along the way, we’re setting them up to succeed—not just online, but in every corner of life.
And if you need a little extra support? I get it—I’m a tech-savvy dad, and I know even a little help goes a long way. Genie is here to help, one fun, engaging digital buddy playdate (step) at a time.
Catch you in the digital sandbox,
Darius
