Let Alexa Resolve Your Children’s Disputes
As parents, you often hear about the greatest injustices in life:
“While I was drawing, his elbow moved my hand, so now my princess has a mustache!”
“She moved eight divisions instead of seven! I saw it with my own eyes. “
“He ate the last thin mint, even though I wrote on the box: ‘Don’t eat the last thin mint! “”
You are expected to mediate to help find a solution – for the 17th time this morning. You say no more . It’s time to call an unbiased third party.
Kids Court , a free skill on Amazon Alexa, allows kids to pitch all their complaints to Judge Lexi, an unbiased judge who will help them sort out their battles. Yes, it’s just for fun, but it’s really fun — parents are reporting that their kids go to “court” with real problems and come out giggling and more knowledgeable about the legal system. The skill, created by Adva Levin, won the main prize in the last Alexa Skills Challenge .
How to use it: First say “Alexa, open Kids Court” on any Alexa device. The session begins with a horn sound and a hammer sound. Judge Lexi requires evidence from the prosecutor and the defendant (children may ask, “Who is the prosecutor?” If they are not sure). Then it’s time to call witnesses and present any evidence. As the children talk, Judge Lexi picks up keywords and answers. (Don’t worry – no user information is saved and the skill complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Shield Act.) The conversation seems to be fluent and Judge Lexi is working on some silly jokes and surprises.
Levin writes on Devpost that throughout the process, children “learn to stand up for themselves calmly, formulate their problems coherently and take responsibility for their actions.”
The grand finale is the verdict. Levin developed an algorithm to determine the guilt of the defendant, although it is not clear how she came to this. Judge Lexie announces his decision along with a fun challenge that the losing side must complete (ie, “Try to get your hands on”). If the children are not happy with the decision, they can appeal .
Who knows? Kids Court can help your children stand up for themselves and fight for justice. However, be careful: you may just be using this skill more than you expected. One reviewer writes, “My wife persecuted me for not taking out the trash.”