I struggled with loneliness when I became an empty nester. I found new hobbies, got a dog, and started traveling.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Justine Martin standing on a balcony and smiling.
Justine Martin struggled with loneliness when she became an empty nester.

Courtesy of Justine Martin

I delayed having kids to explore the world. I shouldn't have done that.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
jamie and her kids on a small boat exploring a site on an expedition cruise to iceland

Jamie Davis Smith

My daughter's university alerted me of a possible shooting. There's no parenting book that teaches us how to handle this.

Tech Insider : Business
Hands of a woman playing with nails in stress
The author (not pictured) received an alert from her daughter's university about a possible shooter.

mapo/Getty Images

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'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'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

Parents know the true summer anthem — and it's from an animated K-pop band

Tech Insider : Business
Netflix's
Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" A Sing-Along Event Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 24: Ken Jeong speaks during Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" A Sing-Along Event at Regal LA Live on August 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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