How this article of clothing forced me to examine the ways I policed myself and others. — As my daughter’s teenage years approached, I knew they would come with battles over clothing choices. I could see the crop top trend coming my way, and I knew it was just a matter of time before she asked to wear one. Not such big a deal, you might think…

Albiona M. Rakipi My son recently turned 19, and I feel that parenting him and my daughter has been the ultimate journey in learning to love, practice patience, and what I find the hardest: surrender. Surrendering is easier said than done; at least for me, this is the case. It’s…

When people ask me to name a pivotal moment in my life, I can’t. I ponder the question, sit with it and consider moments that changed the trajectory of my life. But, I struggle to choose. I thought long and hard on this, and here is my answer: I’ve had…

The answer may pleasantly surprise you. I recently watched Andy Cohen, late-night host of the hit show “Watch What Happens Live” and father to two beautiful kiddos, interview celebrities Jenna Deewan and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Both women also have young children. Andy Cohen played a game where the three answered questions…

Don’t succumb to the pressure to constantly keep your kids busy. Do this instead. I received many emails this week with the subject line: How to keep your kids busy this summer. How to make sure your kids aren’t bored this summer. We’re a culture of doers, so I thought…

It’s not about the size, but the number of minutes I’ve wasted pondering this. — Everyone said your body changes in your 40s. I didn’t think mine would. I thought I would bypass these roadblocks because I was destined to stay a size 2. I judged the people who said it to me, assuming they weren’t exercising discipline and blaming their “40s.” But it did…

As a parenting coach, these are the five things I want parents to hear. — Parents usually come to me for help because they’re feeling overwhelmed. The reasons for the overwhelm are different for each parent. For some parents, they need help trying to manage their child’s behavior so they can get through their day. For others, they want to get on the same parenting…

As our kids become teens and then young adults, the transition is beautiful and challenging at the same time. As a mother in this phase of parenting, I find myself treading a fine line of when to jump in and help and when to pull away. The thought of pulling…

Is less more? — Recently, the Big Three — GM, Ford and Chrysler — announced they are going to phase out production of sedans and focus their time and resources on trucks, SUVs and crossover vehicles. As someone who drives in Michigan daily, it’s clear that larger vehicles dominate the roads. As a sedan…