Clearly this is a tough economic time and a lot of families are hurting. So when we talk to parents we talk about small changes for kids and things that don't cost extra money. Like adding water and eliminating sugary drinks and sodas. That's going to save money right there. Or adding a few more vegetables.

I decided to pursue music so I dropped out of school and I told my parents I didn't want any money from them. I got three jobs and I just hit the ground running.

My mom is in the navy and my dad works for the army but I never called them 'sir' or 'ma'am' or anything like that and we never really moved around a lot because both my parents were stationed in D.C.

I was born to a single mom and raised by her and my grandparents.

Everyone in my family is an artist. Both my parents are painters and my mom's an opera singer. I was never shown any other way to process life.

I had really great parents who always gave me lots of opportunity for choice but I didn't always realize how rare that was for a girl for them to say 'You can be a mom or have a career or do both or do something we haven't thought of yet.'

I spend so much time with my parents. My mom and I were joined at the hip for five years. There was not one moment when I wasn't with her.

My dad is a lawyer and my mom is an artist. So growing up was exactly what it sounds like - strict household but a lot of creativity. They are so psyched that I get to make music for a living. My parents rule.

In third grade I was taking tap-dance lessons and about six weeks before the recital I wanted to quit. My mom said 'No you're going to stay with it.' Well I did it and I was bad too! But my parents never let their kids walk away from something because it was too hard.

My mom and my dad wanted my brother and I to have a better life you know better education better jobs. It was probably harder much much harder for my parents. When you're a kid you can learn a language much more easily I learned English in less than a year.