Jill and Mathew Leising knew they found the right community for their family when they toured the Carls Family YMCA in Milford. They learned from the YMCA that families like living in the Milford area — and that families love their local YMCA. The Leising family relocated to the Milford area nine years ago and have had a family membership at the YMCA ever since. “We use the YMCA to its fullest,” says Jill Leising. “We work out and use the free Child Watch and all my kids have taken swim lessons at various stages.”  Photo Credit: The Leising Family We caught up with Leising and her younges ..read more

The first several months with your new baby may be among your most challenging. And, as a struggling new mom, you may be one of 23,000 Michigan women to experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.  That estimate is low because many women experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders go undetected, says Katherine McCloskey, program leader at Clearview, a women’s specialty program at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center in Richmond.  Substance use disorder occurs among 10% of these new moms and Michigan trends about 5% higher than the national average, possibly due to higher rate ..read more

Choosing a diverse place to raise a family can impact the way a child sees the world. Niche, a website offering rankings and statistics on towns, schools and colleges, recently released its 2024 Most Diverse Places to Live. It offers a look at the most diverse places for people with kids in Oakland County to call home based on a variety of factors. These statistics were calculated based on ethnic and economic diversity statistics by city from the U.S. Census. You can find the full methodology here. Here are the top 10 most diverse places in Oakland County on the list: Pontiac Average home val ..read more

Have you ever considered what cows eat? You might think that they have relatively simple nutritional needs, but in fact, the diet of a dairy cow is complex and finely tuned. A cow’s diet directly influences not just the health and productivity of the cow, but also the quality of milk it produces. It even affects the sustainability of the farming practices involved.  “Cows are great recyclers,” says dairy nutritionist Steve Good. “They are able to use nutritional sources that humans can’t and they turn those sources into highly nutritious products for people.” The cornerstones of a cow’s d ..read more

Here’s something surprising: in K-12 education right now, boys are struggling. Boys make up two-thirds of the bottom 10% of grade point averages and just one-third of the top 10%. There’s a 6% gap between girls and boys in on-time high school graduation. In the typical school district, girls are three-quarters of a grade level ahead of boys in English and dead even in math. In lower-income districts, girls are a full grade level ahead in English and one-third of a grade level ahead in math. This data comes from Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of the book ..read more

A family cruise vacation can be just as action-packed as your kids wish and as relaxing as parents and grandparents want when you set sail with Royal Caribbean. Their wow-worthy ships are packed with incredible entertainment options, plus you can seamlessly visit various amazing destinations with ease. My family recently sailed Wonder of the Seas on a Western Caribbean cruise, stopping at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico to bounce on water inflatables; Roatan, Honduras to zipline through the jungle and Costa Maya, Mexico to swim in a ceno ..read more

Choosing a middle school is an important early step in a child’s education.  Some schools in Wayne County have better scores than others. Niche, a data-analyzing website focused on schools, has graded some of the best public middle schools in Wayne County.  The results stem from multiple ranking factors including teacher quality, state test scores, student-teacher ratio, student diversity and more. Read more on how this ranking was calculated. Top 50 public middle schools in Wayne County Meads Mill Middle School, Northville (A+) East Middle School, Plymouth (A) Pierce Middle School ..read more

Michiganders, did you know that one of the world’s best wine regions is right in our own backyard? If you’re a wine enthusiast or are simply in need of a spring getaway, check out Traverse City Uncorked. This lively event runs throughout May and coincides with Michigan Wine Month. Uncorked offers unique opportunities to enjoy special wine events and offerings throughout Traverse City’s scenic vineyards and award-winning wineries. Cheers to the Traverse City Wine Coast Located on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City is home to the vineyards of the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas ..read more

Whether you’re in the midst of your child’s meltdown in the grocery aisle or managing your own crash and burn, it’s true what they say: Put the oxygen mask on yourself first. The answer to cultivating a healthier, happier, less stressed, more connected relationship with our kids is simple: It starts with self-compassion. Join Metro Parent on May 1 for this free ParentEd Talk with mindfulness mavens Yaffa Maritz and Kelly Moore, Ph.D., LICSW. Learn how to: Prioritize your well-being Regulate your nervous system Feel and process your emotions Unlock your wisest self  Foster a sense of safe ..read more

If you’re looking to see tulips, but don’t want to travel too far, DeBuck’s Family Farms is the perfect place to go. There are tons of fun, kid-friendly activities to keep your children occupied while you’re there. Quick details about Tulip Festival at DeBuck’s Family Farms Dates: April 24-May 12, 2024 Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday Address: 50240 Martz Road, Belleville Cost: $15.95/person, free/under 2 Parking: Always free! Tulip Festival dates are tentative and subject to change, based on bloom status. This year’s design resembles a butterfly. Admission to the Tulip Festival incl ..read more