How to set up ChatGPT so your child actually learns with it

Most teenagers use ChatGPT for homework. If your child asks for the finished answer, they learn nothing. If they ask ChatGPT to explain the task, it becomes a tutor.

That's what the teen account is for. OpenAI calls it "ChatGPT for Teens": you link your own ChatGPT account to your child's and then decide how ChatGPT works for them. The setting that matters most is study mode. With it, ChatGPT asks questions, explains things step by step and checks whether your child has understood, instead of just handing over the answer.

Setting it up takes about ten minutes.

Before you start

What you need: your own ChatGPT account, the email address or phone number your child uses for ChatGPT, and about ten minutes.
Requirement: your child has their own ChatGPT account. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT is for ages 13 and up, and under-18s need a parent's permission.
Easiest way: on a computer at chatgpt.com. The menus can look different in the app.
Do this first: have a quick talk with your child. They have to accept the invitation themselves, and they can unlink the accounts at any time. You'll get a message if they do. If your child knows why you're doing this, the setup is far more likely to stick.

Step 1: Open your settings

Sign in at chatgpt.com with your own account. Click your name in the bottom-left corner to open the profile menu, then choose Settings.

ChatGPT profile menu with Settings highlighted (German interface)

Step 2: Open parental controls

Choose Parental controls in the list on the left. That's where you'll find the Add family member button.

The parental controls section of ChatGPT's settings with the Add family member button (German interface)

Step 3: Invite your child

Click Add family member. In the window that opens, enter your child's email address, or switch to their phone number if that's what they signed up with. Mark the person as your child, then select Send.

Tip: use exactly the email address or number your child signs in with. Otherwise the invitation ends up at an account nobody uses.

The invite window with the email field and the option for your child selected (German interface)

Step 4: Your child accepts the invitation

Your child gets a text or email with a link, and sometimes a notification inside ChatGPT too. They accept the invitation through the link. After that, their name shows up under Family members in your settings.

Tip: if the link only opens ChatGPT and there's no Accept button, your child should sign in on the web, go to Settings › Parental controls, open the invitation there and select Accept. If nothing arrives at all, you can choose Resend invitation next to their name.

Step 5: Turn on study mode

This is the step that matters most. Select your child's name under Family members. You'll now see every setting you manage for them. Switch on Study mode. It's off by default.

From then on, every new chat your child starts opens in study mode. Instead of giving the answer straight away, ChatGPT asks what they already know, explains in small steps, sets practice questions and gives feedback on their answers. Your child can also upload a photo of the task, a worksheet or their notes.

Tip: if there's no Study mode switch, turn on Study hours instead and set them to cover every time your child does homework. According to OpenAI, study hours replace the older setting. Only you can change them, not your child.

Step 6: Check the other settings

The same page has a few more switches worth a look:

Reduce sensitive content (on by default). Leave it on. Among other things, it filters graphic content, viral challenges, sexual or romantic role-play, violent role-play and extreme beauty ideals.
Quiet hours (off by default). During these times your child can't use ChatGPT at all, for example overnight. You can add several time blocks.
Voice mode and image generation (on by default). Homework rarely needs either. If you switch them off, your child loses access to those features.
Improve the model for everyone (on by default). Turn it off if you don't want your child's chats used to train ChatGPT.
Safety notifications (on by default). Under Manage notifications you can see whether they reach you by email, text or push notification.

As long as your accounts are linked, your child can't change any of these settings. Some changes only apply to new chats.

What the teen account can't do

So you know what you're relying on, here are four limits worth knowing:

Study mode isn't a lock. It decides how new chats start. It doesn't apply to GPTs or projects, and it doesn't block regular ChatGPT.
You can't see their chats. Linking accounts gives you no access to your child's conversations or history. Safety notifications only arrive in a small number of serious cases, and OpenAI says they are not real-time monitoring.
Your child can unlink the accounts. You'll be notified, but your settings stop applying from that moment.
It only covers ChatGPT. Other AI apps, and everything that happens on WhatsApp, Instagram or Snapchat, aren't affected.