I caved in and got my son a Nintendo Switch so he wouldn't feel left out. I immediately regretted it.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Tween playing piano
The author's son started new hobbies once he stopped playing with his Nintendo Switch.

Courtesy of the author

I went bathing suit shopping with my 18-month-old daughter. I realized I shouldn't talk negatively about my body around her.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
mom and daughter in pool
The author realized her daughter was listening when she criticized her body in a changing room.

Courtesy of the author

My partner and I lived in a camper van for 3 years before I had an unexpected pregnancy. It changed everything for us.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Jayme Serbell and her partner sitting in their camper van with their dogs
The author and her partner lived in a camper van for years.

Courtesy of Jayme Serbell

My parents pay my rent in New York City because I can't find a full-time job after college. I feel like I failed.

Tech Insider : Business
the author is sitting on the outdoor steps to her NYC apartment
The author is a recent college graduate who can't find a job.

Courtesy of Dove Williams

I'm self-employed, and family planning as a freelancer is scary. I don't have parental leave, and I don't know how much money to save.

Tech Insider : Business
A woman working from home and looking at her laptop and notebook.
The author (not pictured) enjoys freelancing, but says the lifestyle makes it difficult to plan for a future with her husband.

Olga Pankova/Getty Images

Adopting the slang of my Gen Alpha kids took me from being an outsider to someone who is in on the joke

Tech Insider : Business
A mother and child walk together in a courtyard.
The author said her three kids (not shown) were all using Gen Alpha lingo when they spoke. She decided to join in so she could connect with them.

Maskot/Getty Images

Sometimes my adult kids don't get along. I'm their mother, but it's not my job to fix their problems.

Tech Insider : Business
Three boys walking at the beach
The author wants her now adult kids to stay close for life.

Courtesy of the author

I moved to the UK from Florida 20 years ago. Living here has been full of surprises in the best way.

Tech Insider : Business
The writer wearing sunglasses and posing in front of the water on a bridge in London.
Many things surprised me when I first moved to the UK two decades ago.

Jennifer Burns

As my mom aged, I had to care for her more and more. I regret the time I missed with my youngest daughter.

Tech Insider : Business
The author poses with her daughter while outside.
The author, pictured with her youngest daughter, said she regrets how much caring for her mother took her away from her parenting.

Courtesy of Theresa Siller.

I'm an American who studied abroad at a college in China. My time there inspired the rest of my career.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Marianna Maddock and her friend sitting at a table in shanghai
The author (right) studied abroad in China in college.

Courtesy of Marianna Kay Maddock

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