In my first conversation with Anthony on the Future Factory podcast, we tackled a terrifying reality: our children are “suckling at the breast of the algorithm.” We talked about the scroll addiction and how to disconnect. But in our most recent must-see (in my “unbiased” opinion) sit-down, we took it a step further.

It’s easy to recommend putting the phone away, but like most families, ask me, “Ok, now what?” That’s why our conversation was centered around building unbreakable kids.

​The Shift: From Survival to Sovereignty

As a Marine, I’ve seen what true resilience looks like, but as a father and author, I realized that many of us are parenting from a place of “survival programming”—the same way our parents did.  For example, my father, coming from Nigeria, preached education as a path to success, while Anthony’s mother wanted him to be a butcher so he’d never go hungry.

These were lessons based on their experiences, often in response to challenging circumstances. However, in an AI-driven world, are old metrics like “A+ or bust” becoming obsolete?

​3 Key Pillars for the Modern Parent:

1. The “Sandbox” Strategy: Your home is the safe space for failure. I shared a story about my 8-year-old son struggling with a stack of boxes that wouldn’t fit in the recycling bin. Adults would’ve figured it out pretty quickly, but he and his friend were perplexed. Even still, I didn’t step in. I let him get frustrated because in an AI world, the human ability to solve “uncomfortable” problems is our only competitive advantage.
2. Armor Up (The “Crab” Theory): We discussed how to handle the “one-star reviews” of life (based on the lessons I learned from receiving my own one-star review). Whether it’s a bully on the playground or a digital critic, our kids need to know that lashing out is usually a reflection of the other person’s “mental cancer” or fear not a validation of their efforts or worth.
3. The “Single vs. Home Run” Connections: We often try to hit “home runs” with our kids—like big vacations and expensive gifts. But connection happens in the “singles”—the ordinary moments. It’s the shoulder-to-shoulder time reading a “silly” book like Horace the Horsefly just to hear them laugh.

​Why You Should Watch Both Episodes

If you missed our first session, “Intentional Parenting in an AI World”, we laid the groundwork for digital boundaries. In this new episode, “Building Unbreakable Kids”, we provide the toolkit for emotional intelligence and creative sovereignty.

Watch the interview on YouTube, or listen to our latest conversation on Apple Podcasts.

My conversations with Future Factory have been about one thing: making sure we don’t lose our humanity to the machine.