When Amanda Just's father insisted his academically gifted daughter learn typing in Year 9, while everyone laughed, he saw something others couldn't: a world about to be transformed by computers. That 'useless' skill became her gateway into technology, launched her IT career, and shaped everything that followed.
Today, artificial intelligence is that same turning point for our children.
In The Advantage Code, Amanda Just, parenting expert, educator (BSc IT, MEd), and mother of two, brings together 20 years of parenting lectures delivered across Australia and world-wide to answer the question every modern parent is asking: What do my children actually need to succeed in an AI-driven future?
The answer isn't more screen time, coding classes, or academic tutoring. It's the deeply human skills that artificial intelligence can never replicate.
Organised across three developmentally appropriate levels:
FOUNDATION SKILLS - Emotional intelligence, social and living skills, debating, collaboration, resilience, grit, and adaptability. The bedrock of every future success.
INTERMEDIATE SKILLS - Data protection and verification, general knowledge, understanding how things work, research skills, and problem-solving. The tools for navigating an information-saturated world.
ADVANCED SKILLS - AI prompting and critical thinking, marketing literacy, and practical technical skills. The capabilities that will define the next generation's workforce.
Each skill is explained clearly, backed by research, and accompanied by practical activities, games, and strategies that real families can implement today, regardless of background, resources, or where you're starting from.
The Advantage Code is not a book of rigid rules. It's a roadmap. A companion. A reminder that you are your child's most important teacher and that the everyday moments you share with them are already shaping the future.
"The best way to predict the future is to prepare our children to shape it."
Perfect for parents of children aged 0-18, educators, and anyone who works with young people and wants to understand what it really means to be future-ready.
