The Best Time to Raise Children Is Now

When an Avatar Faced the Courtroom…

On March 26, 2025, a startling moment unfolded in a New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division. A man named Jerome Dewald, representing himself in an employment dispute, appeared not in person, but through an AI-generated avatar.

Hoping to speak more confidently, he created a lifelike digital version of himself to argue his case. The judges, unaware of this, halted proceedings in confusion. The court expressed disappointment at the lack of transparency.

Dewald later apologized, admitting he thought the avatar might argue better than he could.

“The courtroom, a place rooted in tradition, suddenly becomes a stage for a new ethical dilemma: when a machine speaks in place of a man.”

But this moment wasn’t just about courtroom rules.
It was a mirror, a reflection of the world our children are growing up in.
A world where:

✅Avatars may speak in courtrooms

✅AI might be trusted over human judgment

✅The digital self could rival the physical one

How Do We Raise Children in a World Like This?

We are not merely parenting in a tech age.
We are parenting during the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where AI, automation, and the Internet of Things are reshaping how we live, learn, and grow.

“How do we raise children who can thrive, even when reality itself is being redefined?”

This Is Not a Time to Fear, It Is a Time to Build

I’m not afraid of AI.
In fact, I’m glad I’m raising a child in this season.
Because while technology brings complexity, it also opens doors to unimaginable opportunities.

Yes, the risks are higher, but so are the rewards.

Instead of parenting from a place of fear about screen time, digital dangers, isolation, let’s shift our focus to:

✅Empowerment over avoidance

✅Creation over consumption

✅Purpose over panic

“Let us raise children who are not just users of technology, but co-creators of the future.”

Anchor Them in What Does Not Change

In a fast-changing world, the greatest gift we can give is not control, but clarity.

Let’s root our children in:

Timeless Values
✅ Integrity
✅ Kindness
✅Accountability
✅Grace
✅Courage
✅Honesty

Essential Soft Skills
✅Grit
✅Emotional intelligence
✅Communication
✅Civility
✅Empathy
✅Negotiation
✅ Collaboration

“Harvard research found that 80% of success depends on soft skills, not technical know-how. In an AI-driven world, this percentage will only grow.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)

This isn’t about resisting the future.
It’s about preparing children to lead in it, with heart, character, and competence.

We Are Raising Children for a Future We Cannot Predict

My son belongs to Generation Beta.
By the time Generation Gamma comes of age, he’ll be just 17.

Will doctors be AI? Will classrooms be holograms? Maybe.
But I am not afraid.

“Because my child will not be a stranger to the future, he will be ready for it.”

Let’s Stop Asking “Can They Survive?

Let’s Start Asking “Can They Build?”

We’re not just raising competitors.
We’re raising builders, leaders, and reformers.

Let’s raise children who:
✅ Understand AI
✅ Engage digital tools with wisdom
✅ Build with responsibility
✅ Solve problems with empathy
✅ Take bold steps with a grounded heart

Final Thoughts: Why Now Is the Best Time to Raise Children

Because:
✅Productivity is faster than ever
✅Knowledge is everywhere
✅Creation is borderless
✅Influence is accessible

“The future is not dangerous, it is daring. And it is waiting for our children to show up.”

So let’s not shrink back.
Let us speak hope, not fear.
Let us build values, not just rules.
Let us raise children rooted in what does not change, so they can thrive in what must change.

Because in every generation, those who made a difference were not those who avoided risk, but those who recognized opportunity, and walked toward it with courage.
As it is written:
“For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
( Hebrews 12:2 (NIV))

Live inspired. Parent prepared. Teach values. Embrace innovation.
This is the call.
This is the time.
This is the future.

Do have an INSPIRED weekend with the family.

CRITICAL INVITATION TO CONSIDER

Are you a parent, leader, or professional passionate about raising children in a safe, ethical, and empowering environment?

On Saturday the 3rd of May, 2025, I would be hosting THE LEGACY NOW LEADERSHIP PROJECT 4.0

A Premier Coaching Experience in Family Strengthening, Child Safeguarding & Protection.

Click the link below to register

https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSddhcEa3AY38T…/viewform

I look forward to personally receiving you at the virtual leadership program.