Cece with her dolls

By: Kristine White

ASQ Developmental Specialist 

When I think about problem solving in young children, certain things jump out in my mind. For example, how to help my daughter pull her Baby Stofa’s (yes, she named her baby that) shoes off. Or helping her turn her puzzle pieces just the right way so that they fit in the shape correctly.

But I have come to realize that problem solving is more than that. It’s not just me helping her solve problems, but creating opportunities to help her learn how to figure things out.  So on our Christmas vacation, my husband and I were both home all week with my daughter, Cece. She had been sick Christmas day and most of our vacation. My husband and I were getting tired quickly of being housebound. We got creative with another indoor activity and pulled out her water table from the summer and filled it up with cotton balls (minus the water).

We gave Cece some large plastic cooking spoons for scooping and hid her plastic animals in the cotton balls for her to find. Little did we know that this would be such a fun activity that kept her occupied for 4 days! It was also quite entertaining to watch one of our cats go “fishing” for some cotton balls from the water table! The cats had fun batting around the cotton balls all week. I know this because I found 25 cotton balls under my couches when I pulled them out to vacuum! But aside from cotton balls, I have been finding more fun activities to do with Cece.

Cotton balls in the water table

When finding these activities, I often thought to myself, why didn’t I think of that? For instance, last night I made Cece a bed for her dolls. I cut the flaps off of a cardboard box. I put one of Cece’s small blankets at the bottom of the box and showed her how to put her babies in their bed to “go night-night”. She covered them up with one of her blankets so that they “no cold” (didn’t get cold). Again, why didn’t I think of this activity before? She loved it!

Here are some more ideas for you and your child to try! With your baby, put a cover or blanket up to your face to play peek-a-boo. When you drop the cover, say “Here I am”! Your baby will enjoy seeing your smiling face and will start to understand that you are still behind that piece of cloth! Another fun activity to do with your baby is to find a large box that they can crawl inside and out of! They will enjoy going in and out of the box and you can also play peek-a-boo this way too! Isn’t there a commercial that says “a cardboard box=priceless!?”

An idea to play with your toddler is to do puzzles with your child. Some libraries have an area for toddlers to play in for free and usually have puzzles available. I have found that Cece likes the puzzles that have wooden animal shapes. She likes to match the animal shape to the picture on the puzzle board. I enjoy asking her what each animal sound is that they make. Did you know zebras make an “EEEE” sound? Well, according to Cece, they do!

With your preschooler, help them cut some pictures out of a newspaper ad or a magazine of items you will need to buy at the grocery store. Put them in an envelope and have your child hold it in the grocery store for you. They can pull out the picture of each item to remind you to buy them. When they pull the pictures out, say “Yes, we do need to get some apples”. Then praise your child for helping you remember to buy these items.

Another fun idea for your preschooler is stringing fruit loop or O-shaped cereal on a shoelace. Sometimes this concept can be difficult for children to learn but with much practice and with your patience, your child will become a pro at this!

If you find more activities like this to do with children, please share them with other parents! Parents can always use new ideas to do with our children, especially when we are house-bound in the winter! And, parents could use some problem solving strategies too when trying to stay sane while cooped up in the house!

By: Kristine White

ASQ Developmental Specialist

I have a pretty chatty little girl. I’m pretty sure it’s hereditary. At least that’s what my husband tells me. But so what, right? When I had my daughter, Cece, I didn’t think to myself at what age would she start talking. I was so engrossed in getting used to taking care of this tiny being that nothing else crossed my mind (except when I’d ever sleep again)!

As an Early Childhood Professional, I know it’s extremely important for children to learn how to communicate because it’s linked to so many other parts of a child’s development. I had to engage my daughter in many different kinds of activities to promote her language development. I started singing to her every night when I rocked her to sleep. I became a fantastic soloist! “You Are My Sunshine,” “Amazing Grace” and “Itzy Bitzy Spider” became her favorites.

The other night, it was my turn to put Cece to bed. I sat in the chair with her and rocked and snuggled with her (my favorite part of the day). And before I knew it, my sweet 19 month old was singing to ME! Guess what she was singing? Yep, she was singing “You Are My Sunshine!” I was so stunned that she was doing this that I started to cry! All of the times that I sat in the chair with her and sang and she actually retained it! How exciting!

So for all of you parents, sing to your children! You can sing in the car, at the grocery store (I do that – despite the looks I get from other people), at bath time and in your bedtime routine. Read to them every day! If they come over to you and hand you a book to read to them, read it! They are helping you open the door to their learning!

When you read to your baby, point to the pictures and name things for them. Ask them to find things in the book, such as “Where is the ball?” They may need a little help with this in the beginning but after a few times of practice, they will be able to point to them!

Play the “Help Me” game with your toddler! Ask your toddler to help you do things around the house. I always ask my daughter to help me with getting me a diaper or getting her shoes for me. You may have to point to the items that you are asking for in the beginning. Tell your toddler that they are a big helper and thank them when they do the action you requested them to help you with. This makes them feel important!

With your preschooler, you can play the “Silly Me” game. Point to the milk carton and ask them “Is this the cereal?” Let your preschooler tell you what it really is. Then pretend that you didn’t know and act really surprised!!! Your child will giggle and think that it’s a fun game. They like to tell or teach adults the right name of things!

For your older preschooler, ask them “What was your favorite part of today?” or “What was the best thing that happened today?” Ask them questions about this event and how it made them feel. Share with them what your favorite part of your day was.

It’s important to keep in mind that all children develop at different ages. Maybe your child will be a little chatterbox too! And hey it’s ok if they are and it’s ok if they aren’t because all children are special in their own ways!

Project Specialist

Great Start Collaborative-Oakland

The first five years of life represent a critical period of growth and development. It is a time when walking, talking, self-esteem, character, and moral foundations are established. By age 5, children’s patterns for learning, interacting with others, and understanding their world are set. Quality early childhood education programs harness the possibilities during this window of opportunity by approaching young minds with a comprehensive range of tools designed to foster strong social, emotional and physical growth.

When children are given the benefit of quality early childhood education, risk factors can be identified and addressed early and positive early life experiences created so children enter school eager and ready to learn.

For families of young children, the questions about child care are paramount.  Most any gathering of parents with young children naturally turns to the topic of child care – how to find it, pay for it and be sure it is of high quality. However, in Oakland County almost 9,000 children under the age of five are living in poverty (12%). When families are struggling to pay their bills, this conversation becomes stressful because options are now limited and often are not in quality settings. Their options are limited. In addition, the average annual cost for child care in Oakland County for a three- or four- year-old in full-time center-based preschool is $8,440.00. This is over $1,000 more than the state average for preschool.

This summer Great Start Collaborative-Oakland was awarded $150,000 toward child care scholarships for a year’s worth of tuition for three-year olds living in poverty – a chance to provide quality early learning experiences to a few families in our county. With this funding, we were able to support 21 families!!

It has been just two short months into their year and I have already heard of the impact these scholarships have made for these families.

For the children, the early learning setting has allowed them to learn how to cut with scissors, play with other children their age and be potty trained!! For example, because of the high cost of care, one child stayed with his grandparents while his mom was at work. The scholarship has allowed him to attend a high quality preschool and his mother reports that she has seen him grow both in his ability to do things (like cutting with scissors) and how happy he is to be around other children his age.

For the families, the scholarship has brought financial relief and allowed them to worry less about changes in work or school schedules. For example, one single mother has been able to take more credit hours at school, which will allow her to finish quicker than she originally thought. Another family was faced with a sudden change in amount of reimbursement they would receive from DHS child care subsidies. Faced with the impending possibility of having to quit their job or look for another location for child care, the scholarship made up the difference and their child was able to stay where she was at.

I am sure that as time goes on we will hear more stories like these.

Knowing that scholarships make such an impact, GSC-O will work to be able to continue to offer scholarships again by applying for grants, looking for donations through business and partnering with quality child care sites.

By: Kristine White,

ASQ Developmental Specialist

Children are very busy, right? Do you ever wonder where they get all of that energy from and how you can bottle it all? I know I have thought this many times! My daughter loves to be chased around the house, but of course that requires me to be constantly picking up after her trail. It’s almost like Taz has been running through my house. I’m almost glad that I rarely get visitors over so that they don’t see the mess! My daughter’s hyper-activity is a good thing though. You might be thinking I sound crazy but it’s true! It means that, despite my house being a mess, she’s using her large muscles, which is essential for healthy growth.

Giving children opportunities to try new things is important for any stage of development. I have come up with some activities that you can do with your children to help promote their large muscle development.

For babies that are sitting up, a great starting movement activity is rolling a ball back and forth to each other. Have your baby face you sitting on the floor and encourage your baby to roll the ball to you. Praise and clap each time your baby attempts to roll the ball to you. This will encourage him or her to try it again. My daughter loved this activity and eventually resorted to throwing me the ball instead of rolling it!

If your toddler is beginning to run now, take him or her to an area of grass in your yard or a park. Play chase with your little one and run after him or her around the yard. Take turns chasing each other. Most toddlers love this game! When you catch them, pick them up and hug them or tickle them! My daughter just loves this. She giggles the whole time and wants to keep doing it over and over. It is a great large motor activity that tires them out for a great nap!!!

If your toddler is a little older – around the age of two – play bowling with him/her. Use old milk cartons or old plastic bottles to use as the pins. Show your child how to roll the ball to knock the pins down. This is a fun game for them too, and they can help pick the pins up and put them back up. They will probably want to do this over and over as well!

For your preschooler, put out a small stack of books or blocks. Show your child how to jump over the stack. Your child should be able to land on both feet when doing this game. By having them jump over a small stack, you are creating a little more height for them to jump over, which can help with their balance and coordination!

I hope you enjoy these activities. I have to go now, as my daughter is running around the house again! Once I come up with a way to bottle that energy we talked about earlier, I will be sure to let you know!

B-Day Girl

By Darlene Zimny

Three years ago today, we welcomed our sweet Alexis into the world. Being her birthday and also so close to Thanksgiving, it’s hard not to be thankful for how blessed we feel.

She stole our hearts right from the beginning and she continues to amaze us each and every day. This was a big year for Alexis: sleeping in a big girl bed, becoming a big sister, using the potty and starting preschool. And she did all these big things with such simplicity, in her easy-going way. Looking back on this whirlwind of a year, it’s crazy to think how much she has grown, how she’s transformed from a toddler to a preschooler right before our eyes.

While I believe our parenting journey started nine months before her birth, today is a special day we celebrate, not just because Alexis turned 3, but also, it’s our three year anniversary of becoming parents. I mentioned above all the big things that Alexis achieved this last year, but there are also big things that we’ve accomplished as parents or are very grateful for in the last three years. First and foremost, we’ve managed to keep our kids (Alexis and her baby sister, Maria) relatively safe and healthy. To me, that’s an accomplishment, and a blessing. Not a day goes by that I don’t worry about their health and safety. Those St. Jude Hospital commercials – you know the ones that air mostly at night on cable channels – yeah, I can’t watch them because they turn me into a pool of tears. We’ve been very blessed to have healthy kiddos.

And while the transition from one kid to two kids has been rocky for us, of course it’s an accomplishment to add a new member to our family – Maria! While most days are filled with some sort of challenge, I find it an achievement when simple routines run smoothly, like going to a restaurant for dinner or going to church without meltdowns from one or both kids. Those rare instances when things go right…those are accomplishments. The other 90%, well, we just try to plan better for the next time and keep our fingers crossed.

Another great gift from the last three years are the great people we have met and become friends with as well as the friends and family that we’ve grown closer too along our parenting journey. From friends made through our parenting group or child care, as well as dear friends from the good ‘ol days, it’s always great to bond with other parents by celebrating successes, venting about challenges, and supporting each other through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We are so grateful for Alexis, Maria, and all the wonder that being a family brings!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

By: Kristine White

Great Start Collaborative-Oakland ASQ Developmental Screening Specialist

I have had some parents ask me, “So what exactly does fine motor skills mean?” Well, fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body that include functions such as writing, grasping small objects, fastening buttons on clothing, etc. Fine motor skills are important for children in learning how to write, hold items, wave “bye-bye” and many other things.

As an early childhood professional, I have been to many training sessions on childrens’ development. During one training, one very good occupational therapist from Royal Oak mentioned a great activity to do with young children. It sounded silly to me at first because it seemed so simple, but after trying it with many children – including my daughter Cece – it has turned out to be a huge hit!

All you need is an empty parmesan cheese container and some straws. You will need the parmesan cheese container (You know the container: the kind of grated parmesan cheese that you sprinkle on your child’s noodles after you put butter on them and wonder to yourself, “How many days in a row is this child going to only eat this?!”) that has two slots on the lid: one with the large opening and the other side with three holes.

Cut a straw in pieces so that you have four small straws. I have cut two whole straws so that I have eight pieces, about wo inches in length. (They get lost in my house easily by a curious cat, so I cut extra pieces. )  Then your child can practice putting the pieces in the cheese container.

I didn’t start this activity with my daughter until she was around 15 months old. But it depends on your child. You have to watch young ones with the straws, as they are still very oral at this age. My daughter is 19 months old now and still likes this activity very much! She puts the straws in and tries to unscrew the lid. Then she hands it back to me to unscrew for her so she can dump it out and start over again! I think this activity is great for children for ages 15 months to 3 years of age, if not older! I have brought it in my diaper bag to entertain her at doctor appointments, road trips, restaurants, etc. So besides this being a really great fine motor activity, it has helped me entertain Cece in many different settings. Wouldn’t it be great to have more activities like this that both promote your child’s development AND entertain them?

A modification that you could do for younger children is using cheerios. Place your baby in the high chair or Bumbo seat (with the tray on) and place a Cheerio in front of them on the tray. Watch your child try to pick up the Cheerio. Many children start out by using their whole hand to grasp and pick up the Cheerio. As children get a little older and practice this concept, they then move toward a pincer grasp, which is using the pointing finger and their thumb to pick up a Cheerio or other small object.

For older children in the preschool years, be sure that your child has many opportunities to use his or her fine motor skills. Drawing and coloring opportunities are always good for children this age. Sit down with them and color in a coloring book, draw shapes and have your child color and name them, or let your child draw you a picture and tell you about it. Another option is to give them some child scissors and practice cutting a piece of paper. You can draw a line on a piece of paper and have them practice cutting the line.  Give your children the opportunity to practice buttoning their shirt and their pants.

Such activities as these can start your child on a path towards fine motor excellence! And guess what? You didn’t spend much money, did you?

OK, many have asked me, “How do you keep yourself together with all your children?”

I have several secrets, but I would like to share a few with you right now.

I have a floor fetish. That’s right – this is one of my secrets. I love to clean my floors. I do it at least once a day and it is a pure release. I have found that this is my way to release negative energy. If I am doing things for my children all of the time and they disappoint me, then what? Most of my days are revolved around getting things done for my family, but people are known for disappointment.

So even though most of my days are filled with the hustle of being a mom I need to have control over something that will satisfy me without disappointment. This also needs to be something that I can physically release some of my frustation out on, and for me it’s the floor.

Mostly at the end of the day I do this wonderful ritual of sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. It starts off looking like most floors that eight people have trampled on during the day with crumbs and spills. I carefully get a broom and swing my arms with all my might to get up all the little dots then I fill my steamer up with water and get ready to scrub. All the worries from the day are being released into this floor that doesn’t know what has hit it, LOL.

When I am done it sparkles and I smile knowing that despite whatever happened that day I was in control and completed a job and it looked great. I also make sure if it has been a not-so-great day I recite the Serenity prayer. Life is good, and I can wind down on the computer, being thankful for the ability to release all worries and communicate with the world.

Then it’s off to the wonderful land of rest with the one that I love who understands, until tomorrow I will write again.

Ayana Knox-Potts was recently named Great Start Collaborative-Oakland’s Children’s Champion!

By Lindsay Warren

Jennifer & her family

Lindsay Warren: How many kids do you have (age, name, gender)?

Jennifer Lavender-Schott: I have two children: a 7-year old young lady named Violet and an active 4-year old young man named Owen.

LW: What do you find to be the biggest challenge as a parent?

JLS: The biggest challenge I have faced as a parent thus far is sticking to my decisions when my children exhibit great sadness or distress in response to the decision. If I take away their evening snack, for example, I tend to find myself allowing them to earn it back some other way, even if they didn’t eat their dinner. I feel bad for taking something they really enjoy away from them, even though it was their choice to have it taken, in a sense. I am working on sticking with the consequences so that they learn that they can’t always get something back once it is gone. Even if I do feel horrible about doing it.

LW: What is the most fun part of being a parent?

JLS: The most fun part about being a parent is getting to enjoy all of those simple excitements all over again. Finding a strange bug in the yard, going on a roller coaster ride, stopping the ice cream truck, telling ghost stories by the campfire, hide and seek…I could go on forever. Allowing myself as an adult to take the time to play and be happy about the moments within the day, and to introduce them to my own children.

LW: And the most rewarding part?

JLS: The most rewarding part of being a parent is witnessing how fast and amazingly my children grow and learn. I sit amazed on a daily basis at just how smart and talented they are, and I feel a great deal of pride in them and in myself as their mom.

LW: Where is your favorite place to have a family outing, and why?

JLS: My favorite place to have a family outing would be the zoo. I love animals and the outdoors…and no matter how many times we visit, we can always learn new things. It is also a place that sparks interest and lengthy conversations with my kids, which helps us to connect. There are also other options within the zoo to break up our day, such as the play structures, the 3D-4D movies, special exhibits, and so on. And even in bad weather, there are several exhibits that are indoors too!

LW: What are the best and worst pieces of parenting advice you’ve ever received?

JLS: The best piece of parenting advice I ever received is to go with my gut instincts. That feeling you get deep down inside you is just about always right. The worst piece of parenting advice I have received is to put my four year old child on medication for hyperactivity. Um, he’s four.

LW: As a parent, what do you find yourself worrying about?

JLS: As a parent, I find myself worrying about my children getting injured most often. Running into the street after a ball and getting hit, drowning in the pool, falling and breaking bones, choking on food…things of that nature. I know that I can educate them on safety and monitor them to the best of my ability, and after those two things should quit worrying because it won’t stop an accident in any case. Some things you just can’t stop yourself from worrying over.

LW: What has surprised you most as a parent?

JLS: What has surprised me most as a parent is how it never gets any easier or harder, it just gets different as they age and grow. Once you think you have an understanding and control over a certain stage, they change on you and you have to learn about something new again. I always thought that the older children got the easier they would be to care for, but that is soooo not the case.

LW: What might you do differently if you had it to do all over again, knowing everything that you now know?

JLS: If I could do something differently, knowing what I know now, I think I would have went out more with my husband after having our babies. At the time I was very nervous about letting others care for them without me near, and as a result I kept them with me almost all the time and didn’t get to go out and get a break or enjoy my spouse. Now, I know that they would have been in capable hands and been completely content even without me there for a little while. Get those free moments in whenever you can as a new mom because you need them.

LW: What is your spouse’s greatest strength as a parent?

JLS: My spouse’s greatest strength as a parent is his ability to get into character mode and act out whatever imaginary playscape the kids have in mind for him. He has no embarrassment whatsoever in engaging in this type of activity in front of other adults and gets completely into the play with the kids. He will exert more energy with them in a half hour than most adults do all day, and he will do so even when tired from work. He is also more than happy to get into the icky stuff–mud, bugs, etc. with them.

LW: As a parent, how do you find balance in your life?

JLS: Finding balance in my life is always a challenge, and it is something that I work on improving constantly…I try to schedule in a date night with my husband once a month as well as girl’s nights. I have taken some exercise and yoga classes myself, but they are not a constant thing. Leaving my work at work is hard sometimes, but I do it as much as possible. Anything I do need to bring along I try to accomplish while the kids are in their dance or soccer classes. We always eat dinner together as a family. We also try to get in a family outing on the weekends, and a game or movie night during the week. I plan social gatherings every month or so for extended family, so we can touch base and hang out. I think I am pretty good at organization and scheduling, but there are never enough hours in a day!

LW: And lastly, what has been your favorite memory so far as a parent?

JLS: My favorite memory as a parent thus far…has to be laying eyes on my babies for the first time in the hospital and cuddling them into my arms. Nothing like it.

Are you a Mom or Dad in Oakland County? Would you like to be interviewed for our blog? We’d love to have you! Please email lindsay@lindsaywarren.com.

Grief is often associated with death, but I mention it here because so many families grieve when they have a child with disabilities. I must first give a little background into our situation. Our twin girls, Emma and Julia, were born extremely premature at 23 weeks, 6 days gestation on April 13, 2003. Just one day after their birth, we suffered the painful loss of our beloved Julia.  It seemed as if we were forced to rush through the typical stages of grief for Julia; my entire being was thrown into the rollercoaster of emotions one faces when their child is placed on the most critical unit in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Fast-forward 113 days and our sweet, fragile Emma comes home—finally! Looking back now, nearly eight years later, this is where the grieving journey began.

Our first set of challenges involved endless contact with medical professionals and understanding exactly how many CC’s are in an ounce. (Emma vomited a lot!) It seemed as if I had an endless amount of questions. How do I make her comfortable? How do I get milk into her without it coming back up? Will she have a disability? What can be done about the disability? What is her future going to hold? Will she ever walk or talk? How long will she live? Can I have a second and third opinion? So many questions at such a frightening time!

The first time Becky was able to hold Emma, July, 2003.

Emma's hat and diaper - in comparison to the size of a dollar bill!

Soon after the medical flurry came the next issue: How will we educate Emma? The endless special education lingo and the alphabet soup of Individualized Education Plans (IEP) were added to our plate. If I was to be an effective and strong advocate, I must certainly learn all of this—fast! I went to public seminars on the subject and read a lot. Eventually, I went back to school for a Masters Degrees in Early Childhood Development and Special Education.

As you deal with the medical, educational, and day-to-day situations of raising a child with a disability, please remember that there are emotional responses to deal with. There is the grief you feel because your child is not perfect…or typically developing. All parents worry about their children’s futures, but I believe that those raising children with special needs worry a bit more. It’s always sitting there on your shoulder, tapping you every once in a while. I know now that I was grieving for the loss of my healthy, typically developing child. I never expected…it never even crossed my mind…that I would have a child with a disability. In fact, I had dreams of my baby girl doing so many things: going to college, getting married and having children. In nearly an instant, those dreams were shattered. The situation was so new, scary and incredibly overwhelming.

Upon hearing that Emma had mixed quad cerebral palsy at the age of two, I was overwhelmed with grief. It was difficult to discuss and even more difficult to interact with mothers of healthy babies. I may have even lost a few friends over it. Since grief affects us all so differently, I will point out that I am speaking of my experience only. The stages of grief look the same, but the process of going through the stages is different. We might grieve for different reasons, also: What might have been, lost hopes/dreams, out of fear, etc.

I was fortunate to move through the stages fairly quickly. Over a period of about four years, I trudged through denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, depression, and acceptance. I remember the bargaining stage as if it was yesterday; I would constantly tell myself and others that I would do anything for Emma to walk. There was no way I was having a child in a wheelchair. We took her to every therapist and had her enrolled in an alternative therapy program where we were driving 1 ½ hours each way four days/week. I even looked into going to other countries for the latest and greatest therapies.

I cannot say for sure when I decided to develop positive ways to love Emma and my life, but it seemed like it happened overnight. I look at life completely different now. I realize that our family will no longer remain anonymous like ‘normal’ families. Her equipment alone changes that and quick trips to the store or family jaunts to the beach are a thing of the past. That is okay. We are a strong family – one that has pulled together and we all love Emma with everything we have.

My other two children, Phillip (9) and Abbigail (5), have developed an awesome appreciation for human differences and endless amounts of compassion and empathy for others. For me, I have learned to appreciate ALL of the things Emma can do and not dwell on those she cannot. I savor every moment of joy – from hearing her try to voice a hello when I walk into her bedroom in the morning to her pulling her little sister’s hair and laughing (sounds sick, I know, but it’s something she CAN do). She is such a happy little girl, so I ask everyone to please remember this and never pity her (She does understand our words and expressions).

Emma's 8th Birthday

As for me…My advocating skills and organizational/planning skills are now out of this world!! My marriage is made up of loyalty, respect, trust, incredible teamwork and pure love!! I don’t want to sound as if all is perfect. There are still things I need to work on…letting go of the guilt I sometimes feel for Phillip and Abbigail…making sure they never feel like Emma’s keeper and hoping they never feel slighted in any way. I am now learning that it is okay to take Phillip and Abbigail to the beach without Emma. She is perfectly content with that. She would be miserable sitting in the heat anyway (There I go again… justifying). The next item on my agenda: finding alone time with my dear husband, Russ…even if it’s just walking around the block hand in hand.

By Lindsay Warren

The Hullinger Family

Lindsay Warren: How many kids do you have (age, name, gender)?

Rachel Hullinger: My girls are Addison, 6 and Alexandra, 8.

LW: What do you find to be the biggest challenge as a parent?

RH: Keeping up with the times…making sure they have what they need, but exploring new things in the world…electronics…various sports…busy, busy all the time.

LW: What is the most fun part of being a parent?

RH: Reliving my childhood through them…so fun!

LW: And the most rewarding part?

RH: What is rewarding is other parents complimenting on how lovely the girls are with their personality and manners.

LW: Where is your favorite place to have a family outing, and why?

RH: Hanging out at our friend’s pool and having barbecues.

LW: What are the best and worst pieces of parenting advice you’ve ever received?

RH: Best advice: kids need routine / I don’t listen to bad advice.

LW: As a parent, what do you find yourself worrying about?

RH: I WORRY about them all the time. That is what we signed up for! I worry if they are happy with themselves. I worry about them succeeding in life and enjoying whatever they love. I want them to have some true and long-term friendships. I want them to stay healthy and to live into their old age. I want them to stay away from bad people and bad influences. And I just pray they stay on a straight path of being honest, loving and dependable.

LW: What has surprised you most as a parent?

RH: What has surprised me most is how your kids will model all your actions! Amazing what they pick up – the good and ‘need to work on it’ actions.

LW: What might you do differently if you had it to do all over again, knowing everything that you now know?

RH: Everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t change a thing.

LW: What is your spouse’s greatest strength as a parent?

RH: Pete is balanced. He always has options instead of only one answer and he is accountable. He works hard for providing for his girls.

LW: As a parent, how do you find balance in your life?

RH: Less TV and more outside…communication…family dinners…reading together…having the whole family help out with chores…makes for fun and less stress on mom. Happy mom ~ happy home!

LW: And lastly, what has been your favorite memory so far as a parent?

RH: All the firsts….and more firsts to come!

Are you a Mom or Dad in Oakland County? Would you like to be interviewed for our blog? We’d love to have you! Please email lindsay@lindsaywarren.com.