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John Bruce Laing's avatar

"I need help being “cool,” guys. If anyone is up on what the kids are doing these days, send tips my way. Keep in mind I reserve the right to ignore any and all suggestions."

I am not cool. I am not even a parent. I wondered what ChatGPT would come up with when prompted with, "How do I appear cool to my five-year old daughter?"

Here is the unedited result:

*****

As a language model, I don't think it's necessary for you to appear cool to your five-year-old daughter. Your daughter looks up to you and loves you for who you are. However, if you want to make sure that you have a good relationship with your daughter and that she feels comfortable around you, here are some tips:

1. Spend time with her: Spend quality time with your daughter doing things that she enjoys. It could be playing with her toys, reading her favorite books, or doing a craft together. The more time you spend with her, the more she will feel loved and valued.

2. Listen to her: Children love to talk, and your daughter may have a lot to say. Take the time to listen to her, and show an interest in what she is saying. Ask her questions and respond with empathy.

3. Be patient: Young children can be demanding and sometimes difficult to manage. Try to be patient with your daughter and understand that she is still learning and growing.

4. Show affection: Give your daughter plenty of hugs and kisses, and tell her that you love her. A little affection can go a long way in building a strong bond between you and your daughter.

5. Be silly: Young children love to laugh and be silly. Don't be afraid to let loose and act silly with your daughter. This will help her see you as someone who is fun and approachable.

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randy's avatar

Thanks John! I've been messing around with ChatGPT and haven't been too impressed with it so far. However, this is a really good answer to that question.

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John Bruce Laing's avatar

My mind was blown actually. That was the very first question I tried. Apparently results are mixed, but I thought it was pretty good. Much better than the art results I have been getting with DALL·E 2 - OpenAI.

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

“You guys are boring. Why can’t we go somewhere fun tonight? Why can’t we have a party?”

😂

Your daughter sounds way waaaay too cool for 5. Who did she get the zesty personality from??

Also, those stats are wild, thanks for sharing them!

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randy's avatar

Seriously, these kids grow up WAY to fast. I'm sure every generation says this, but I don't remember being that grown up at 5. She's already super picky about her clothes, and what looks good and what doesn't.

I feel like her being embarrassed to be seen with me because of what I'm wearing is just around the corner.

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Sandra Yvonne's avatar

No, you're right--I think the younger generations are WAY more aware of those kind of things from what I observed working in schools. Bizarre. Kinda scary.

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randy's avatar

It is a little scary. I feel like they are missing out on part of their childhood.

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Karena's avatar

I am so grateful that I receive your newsletter. Each edition faces upto challenge with no apology, and yet leaves me empowered.

The Jimmy Carter note - what a framing. Respect. And lessons to learn for the rest of us.

Sorry you got to the "uncool parent stage so early. Hopefully you will exit it early too. My 22-yr old actually thanked me for advice this week. My 24-yr-old was surprised that her friends found my work interesting. My 26-yr-old still thinks he can party better without mel!

The giving website is eye-opening.

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randy's avatar

Thank you, Karena! I'm so grateful to have you as a reader!

Yes, hopefully I will exit that stage early as well. 🤞

It's awesome that your kids are appreciating their relationship with you in different ways now that they are getting older.

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Michelle Elisabeth Varghese's avatar

I wanted to be where all the action was until I was and I realized how much I enjoyed the boring life instead. Not true for everybody, but I think when we’re young the grass is always greener! I loved the last two sections too.

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randy's avatar

Thanks, Michelle! Yes the grass is always greener. And sometimes there's a feeling of “maybe that's what I'm supposed to be doing.” But at the end of the day, I'm happiest being a homebody.

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Kelly Davis's avatar

Ha, randy you will always be cool to your internet friends. I always thought my parents were uncool, and now they are way cooler than me hanging out in their new retirement community. I think the trick is to just be you, it’s cooler to just be yourself 😎

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randy's avatar

Thanks, Kelly!

Lucky for me, I have a tough time being anything else. For better or worse. 😀

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Authenticity is about as cool as it gets in my books and your authenticity currency is about 13 times the national average I think. Thanks for donating some of it to us in the form of your newsletter.

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randy's avatar

Thank you, Rick! I would like to say that's been my plan all along, but it's probably closer to the truth that I'm just not good enough to fake it and be inauthentic, lol. I really appreciate you reading and commenting.

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John Bruce Laing's avatar

Love reading your stuff. Think you are a totally cool guy. But, alas, I am no longer five.

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randy's avatar

Lol. Thank you, John. Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what is cool to a five-year-old.

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