My son got in trouble at school. It's hard not being able to fight his battles

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
young kid being bullied at school
It's hard to protect your kid from the tough stuff of middle school. (The author's son is not shown here.)

Pawinee Rangkeaw/Getty Images

My parents had my youngest sister when I was 17. Helping care for her made me feel older than my peers.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
A girl sits with a baby in a high chair at the kitchen table studying for a university class.
I was 17 when my youngest sister (not pictured) was born. At times, I felt more like her third parent than a sibling.

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Remote work has been the best thing for me as a parent but the worst as a person

Tech Insider : Business
mother at work in home with two kids distracting her
Working from home blurs the boundaries between "employee" and "mom."

MoMo Productions/Getty Images

I used to hate slow walkers. Then I got sick and I became one of them.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Subway commute in NYC
The author (not pictured) was diagnosed with a cardiac issue and could not raise her heartbeat.

lechatnoir/Getty Images

I spent summers in Transylvania with my grandfather when I was little. Now he's 97, so I moved there to be closer to him.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Woman and grandfather on train
The author moved to Transylvania to be close to her 97-year-old grandfather.

Courtesy of the author

My twin sister and I decided to buy a house together. I'm getting cold feet, but we put in an offer anyway.

Tech Insider : Business
The author and her twin sister drinking wine outside at a restaurant.
The author and her twin sister live together already and are considering buying a home together.

Courtesy of Issy Packer.

I helped my daughter get into law school by pulling strings and got her a job at my law firm. Some colleagues don't respect her at work.

Tech Insider : Business
a man hovering over a woman at her work desk
The author (not pictured) helped his daughter jump-start her law career.

MTStock Studio/Getty Images

I was laid off from my corporate job 5 years ago. Turns out, it was the best thing that could've happened to my career.

Tech Insider : Business
Author Alesandra Dubin sitting on the steps to a plane
Getting laid off from my corporate journalism job pushed me to build a new career for myself rooted in freelance writing.

Alesandra Dubin

When my husband wanted to retire early, I agreed to do the same. But I hated retirement life, so I went back to work.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Travel
A couple arguing at home
The author (not pictured) struggled with early retirement.

janiecbros/Getty Images

We moved to a farm in rural Maine because we thought homesteading would save us money. It didn't.

Tech Insider : Business
Three goats looking through a hole in a fence
The author still keeps goats on her farm, even though she's no longer a homesteader.

Courtesy of Kirsten Lie-Nielsen

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