A parent’s worst fears is to have a child who is faced with a disability. Growing up, my family and I had an extensive experience with raising a child with a disability. My younger brother was born with total anomalous pulmonary venus return, a condition that occurs when none of the four veins that take blood from the lungs to the heart is attached to the left atrium. This congenital heart disease caused him to suffer many complications that lead… Read more

We could be saving energy everyday by going to sleep an hour earlier or more than our usual sleep time. The idea of wasting less energy by turning lights off for an hour on Earth Day started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when over 2 million homes and businesses turned off the switch. There are several advantages of taking an extra hour of rest. By going to bed an hour early, you’ll be up an hour earlier and you’ll have… Read more

He woke up in the middle of night, sweaty and hot to the touch. The instincts kicked in and in no time, his temperature had been taken, the Motrin had been administered and my baby was back to his dreams. My baby being sick is not fun especially when he can only tell me he is miserable by crying. I can hear what he is saying loud and clear, “Mommy, make me feel better!” When a child is sick, we… Read more

As a single college parent, I am working on balancing and sometimes compromising the value of home cooked meals with homework for both my son and I. Dinnertime has been a struggle during my school years. Most days, I get home a few hours before I have to pick up my son and try to start on homework when I could be preparing for dinner. I have compromised making home cooked meals for my child for four years. This year,… Read more

As a late 80’s baby, I can say that since the age of 10 we had a computer in our home. Surely we had televisions in every room and as the world of technology evolved around us, our participation in it did as well. But even in my 20-some-odd years on this earth, life as I know it has become heavily dependent on technology aids. As a mommy-to-be, this raises some concerns for me. I cannot help but anticipate that… Read more

The California State Assembly passed the ban on single-use plastic bags (AB 1998) on June 2. Hilex Poly, LLC, a manufacturer of plastic bags, has suggested that cutting plastic bags will cut jobs. Their defense, like others oppose to the ban, is that the ban is not doing much to conserve the environment. Plastic bags swirl around in the ocean for 500 years and harm wildlife. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has reported that there have been sea animals, including… Read more

It seems like just yesterday, I was in labor getting ready to meet my little boy for the first time. My thoughts were racing as I was about to experience something so amazing and life changing. There was no turning back — I was becoming a member of the Mommy Club. With so many thoughts flowing through my mind, I remember thinking that I was responsible for a new life and my choices would influence him for the rest of… Read more

Over the past weekend, my 7 year-old son learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. I did it mommy, he said. He rode his bike down the sidewalk and around the curve without the aid of my maternal arms holding the handlebars or his shirt.  With tears in my eyes I began to jump up and down because I was so proud of him for so many reasons. When I was married, I always had the vision that… Read more

Summer is fast approaching and some single parent students may be concerned with parenting on a part-time salary. While parenting already has its challenges, single-parenting on such a limited income and attending school may seem impossible. But there are a few arrangements that can be made so that students may still attend classes, earn a manageable income and provide the care they need for their children. Childcare expenses outside of the home can be expensive. An income from a part-time… Read more