I helped my daughter through the chaotic college application process. But there's one aspect no one talks about: the waiting.

Tech Insider : Business
VaNessa Duplessie and her daughter taking a selfie in front of a skyline
The author (right) helped her daughter (left) get through all the stages of the college application process.

Courtesy of VaNessa Duplessie

My teen and I argue about clothes shopping. Thrifting is something we can both agree on.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Mom and daughter at thrift store
The author and her daughter go thrifiting together.

Courtesy of the author

As a mom of 5, I can't buy everything new for back-to-school. Here are my tricks for not breaking the bank.

Tech Insider : Business
A backpack gets flung in the air.

Maria Korneeva/Getty Images

I married a man I'd known for 6 months to be with him in the US. It didn't work out.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
woman in pink shirt holding a pink cocktail in a tropical setting
Lee-Anne Spurdens in her hometown of Cape Town, South Africa.

Courtesy of Lee-Anne Spurdens

I've been a room parent for over a decade. I've gotten some outlandish requests, and it's mostly thankless, but it's worth it.

Tech Insider : Business
The author's child at school, smiling and holding a crayon
The author says being a room parent for her kids has its perks.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith

No one taught me how to parent a teenager. I'm learning how to let mine go.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
The author and teenage daughter

Courtesy of the author

I moved from Los Angeles to Dubai. It turned out to be the best thing for my career.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Travel
woman in blue coat and sunglasses smiling at camera
Brandt in Paris, on a press trip with the French Dairy Board.

Courtesy of Courtney Brandt

I lost a grandparent for the first time at 26. I was surprised by how much it affected me.

Tech Insider : Business
The author with his grandmother when they were young in front of a gift shop.
The author has spent a lot of time with his grandmother over the years.

Courtesy of Adam England

I'm a therapist working with families on a regular basis. My kids still have meltdowns.

Tech Insider : Business
Little toddler boy having a tantrum
The author is a marriage and family therapist and her children (not pictured) still have meltdowns.

Milan_Jovic/Getty Images

A year ago, I moved in with 5 strangers. I was nervous, but the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
The writer (far right behind the selfie taker wearing a light tan sweater) is posing for a photo with her five roommates in their kitchen.
Last year, I moved into a house with five strangers, and the benefits to my mental and physical health have been incredible.

Alyssa Wiens

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