President Donald Trump has made it no secret he wants a baby boom. Is it here?
Certainly within his administration, it seems to be. More widely, however, that question is complicated, experts say.
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Actress Yvette Nicole Brown on caring for her father, who has Alzheimer's disease: "I was one of those people that had vowed that my dad would never be outside of my home. But to keep him in my home right now would have been a detriment to him."
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Most states don't guarantee paid parental leave for teachers, leaving many needing to choose between their students and their own kids.
"I put my heart and soul into teaching... But, I mean, I'm a mom first, and so I had to choose them."
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Tiffany Barrera, 31, is a recently widowed mother of five. Her partner, who was the primary breadwinner for their family, died while trying to cross the Rio Grande after he was deported in November.
"He did everything for us," Barrera said.
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People talk about finding "the one" romantically. But what happens when "the one" becomes your caregiver? Is love enough to get you through?
"Love is not a plan. That's not a plan for long-term care," said author and sociologist Laura Mauldin.
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When Jennifer Taylor found out she had cancer, she didn't want her husband to come with her to chemo. She wanted her best friend.
"It's girl time," her BFF, Adrien Finkel, said. "There's something about the gathering of women that is so healing."
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In many ways, Savannah Guthrie's story reads like a Hollywood script -- it's unfathomable to the average American.
But anyone who's experienced the struggles of caring for an aging parent from afar can relate, on some level.
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Hi, friends. I'm writing about aging adults and screen time -- particularly sandwich generation folks worried their parents are getting sucked into online conspiracies. If you have a personal story to tell about this, I'm listening. Message me here or email me at memitchell@usatoday.com.
"He was in the NICU longer than he was at our house, by the time I started work. He probably knew the nurses better than he knew me, you know?"
Colorado and Illinois recently passed protections for working NICU parents. Read more about it here: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com
Having grandchildren is good for you, experts say. New research has even found being an active grandparent may slow cognitive decline.
Read more about how grandparenting is good for you, here: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com
You've heard of helicopter parents. But what about helicopter grandparents?
Some grandparents "forget that there's a whole parent world that they need to respect," said psychologist Dale Atkins. "They're not your children."
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Her kids were in Seattle. Her parents were in India. She cared for them all.
"I feel now that maybe I didn't give my full attention to my two girls, because I feel like I was worried for my parents," said Tej Pillai, 55.
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The summer camp signup frenzy is in full swing.
Registration for Anne Moore's daughter starts at 8 a.m. "By 8:10, they're full."
"If I happen to be in a meeting for work, then I miss that opportunity," she said.
Read more in my latest for @usatoday.com: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
Ashley Tisdale left her "toxic" mom group. Should you?
"There is just an enormous amount of pressure on mothers to get everything right," said parent group researcher Maia Cucchiara. "And I think it makes parenting really hard for people."
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After a story we published in @usatoday.com last month about Johnika Jamison and her family battling homelessness, her GoFundMe raised $60K.
Other readers told me they're struggling, too. Here are some of their stories: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
I'm 28. Recently an AI tool told me I'll need long term care help when I turn 86, and it'll cost $10 million.
Is it too early to start saving? If there's one thing I've learned covering caregiving for @usatoday.com, it's that planning is essential.
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For anyone wondering how to donate to the family, they set up a GoFundMe today: www.gofundme.com/f/helping-ni...
She was a school counselor for a decade. Now, her family of 5 is homeless.
"Things are really the worst that they've ever been," Johnika Jamison, 38, says. "And it's really linked to me having to care for everybody else."
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More than 1 in 5 child care workers are immigrants. New data from @NewAmerica shows increased ICE activity has led to 39,000 fewer foreign-born child care workers and, in turn, 77,000 fewer working moms.
"It's absolutely chilling."
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Ed Bambas is 88 and still working. A viral TikTok is helping him retire.
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We asked readers what would make caregiving easier. Hundreds of you responded, dreaming of free mental health counseling, universal respite care and more. Are those things possible? I spoke with care and policy experts to find out.
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Great culture can save lives. Literally.
Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard
She cared for her dad while going through her own chemo.
He's 34, afraid no employers will want him once he's done caring for his mom.
She's a sandwich generation mom, and the weight of care sent her to the hospital.
This is caregiving in America: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... @usatoday.com
Hi there! I'm looking to talk with parents of adult children who still pay for their adult kids' big-ticket extra expenses (birthday parties, vacations, etc.). If you're interested in talking with me for this story, message me at memitchell@usatoday.com.
Not everyone can recreate their childhood home like Chris Hemsworth did in his new film. But families can easily use reminiscence therapy with their loved ones who have dementia. Here's how: www.usatoday.com/story/life/h... via @usatoday.com
Zohran Mamdani promised New Yorkers free child care. Is that even possible?
It won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight. But "it seems, for the first time, that the political stars are almost in alignment," said Alyson Silkowski of @newamerica.org.
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It's World Kindness Day. I spoke with kindness experts (yes, those exist!) about how being kind and caring is good for you -- reducing stress, increasing happiness and collaboration and even leading to physical health benefits like better immunity.
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A documentary following Chris Hemsworth on a road trip with his dad comes out Nov. 23.
His dad has Alzheimer's disease.
"I just find myself wanting to spend more time with him," Hemsworth said.
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"My father waited until 10 days before he died to tell me how he wanted to handle his end of life."
The sandwich generation is feeling financial & emotional strain as families have difficult conversations about care for aging parents.
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Caregivers are in crisis. How bad it is depends on where you live.
"When financial strain hits 59% of family caregivers in Georgia compared to just 34% in Minnesota... it's clear that patchwork state solutions aren't enough." -Jason Resendez
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