We're focusing on a growing concern for families across the nation  parental stress. The challenges that parents face could have an impact on both their well-being and kids' health.

Parental stress, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, are being driven by factors such as the pandemic, economic pressures, and the ongoing demands of raising children.

In fact, nearly 70% of parents have reported feeling overwhelmed, and many are struggling to find support.

I went out to find out how parents are coping with the stress, and asked what advice they had to share for other parents.

"I like to go to the gym and relieve a little stress that way," Martell W. said.

"Even if you don't want to change, you have to be willing," Tyrone Powell Jr., added.

According to the recent report, 33% of parents over a one month period reported high levels of stress, compared to only 20% of other adults. 41% of parents say they're so stressed most days that they can't function, and another 48% find stress completely overwhelming, compared to 26% of other adults.

"Things I do for myself is studying the Bible and of course meditating on that," Martell added.

"We go by the plan. I know what time he has to be at school, then I go to work pick him up at a certain time, we're eating dinner at a certain time, we go to bed at a certain time," Shardai Webb said.

"If you raised them right and you have a trust in the Lord, that you have then they will see what they should do," Cathy Jorgenson said.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Sometimes a third. Sometimes you shouldn't give up. don't give up you shouldn't give up," Powell added.

"You don't have to get angry and yell. Just talk to the kids they understand," Webb said.

"Learn from your mistakes. Strong responsibility and that what i have shared and passed down to my kids," Powell said.

"Set boundaries but be at it at a conversation let it be a conversation rather than preach," Jorgenson said.

Where Your Voice Matters

As we see celebrities and music stars use their platforms to support candidates, we wanted to ask if star power actually sways voter decisions.

From social media campaigns to star-studded rallies, celebrity endorsements are becoming increasingly prevalent in politics, with the most recent coming from superstar singer Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris following Tuesday's Presidential debate. And in Milford, as the election draws closer, I spoke with several voters to get their perspective and opinion on the topic.

"I have my own belief system," said Rob Roux. "Whether or not I agree, you mentioned Taylor Swift, whether I agree with the woman, if I think she's a good entertainer she's a good entertainer. Her beliefs are not going to affect my beliefs because they're my beliefs."

"A lot of people should not be swayed by celebrity endorsements, period," said Susan Rosol. "Find out your facts, look at your wallet and decide."

"For me, no," said Ted Dennard when asked if a celebrity endorsement could sway his vote. "I have my own set of values and I know who I like, so no."

"It will probably sway a decent amount of people that probably weren't interested in politics to vote," said Shawn Suser.

"I don't think you should be swayed because you think the person is a good actor, because they're pretty or because they have a great voice," Rob said. "To me that is missing the point."

"Not at all," said Stacey Karson, when asked if an endorsement can sway her opinion in any way. "I make up my own mind based on my beliefs...they are going along with the people that they like because that's who they like, not necessarily if the candidate's running."

"I think it will have more impact on the celebrity than it will on who the people will vote for," Shawn said.

Where Your Voice Matters

The NFL season kicks off tonight, and millions of football fans and fantasy football players from around the world will be tuning in to watch the Chiefs and Ravens.

And if you are one of those fans looking to binge every game this season, be prepared to pay up.

I hit up Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit to speak with people about streaming services, and how much it would cost them to watch every single game, and some of the answers that I got will surprise you.

"I would say that's an investment," said Sam Day.

"I think it's about, maybe like the high $400s, low $500s, maybe?" estimated Michael Rahl.

"20 bucks a month, so I don't know, maybe $150?" one man estimated.

"What if I told you $850?" I followed up with.

"Oh that is pretty pricey, it's too much," he responded.

It's become pretty apparent that streaming services may have caused some frustration when it comes to having the ability to watch your favorite teams.

In total, there's 272 regular season games. Fans and their wallets are going to have to keep up with the rising costs of the services.

There's Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Netflix, and ESPN Plus. But NFL Sunday Ticket is the only way for football fans to access every game on Sundays. It's available exclusively through YouTube TV.

I asked Tracy Melville how much she thinks it costs to watch every single NFL game this season.

"My guess is about $700 to get all of them, at least that, because there's so much premium that you don't get."

Tracy works in the restaurant industry, and has seen change in how customers watch their teams on Sunday.

"Do you have more people coming into your restaurant you work at to watch these games, rather than them having to spend their own money to watch it at home?" I asked her.

"Absolutely," she responded. "They're coming in because they don't have the packages themselves and they're coming in with hopes that we have it and it's really a timing thing too and it's hard to plan for."

"If you add on YouTube TV, we have for our cable, add that to the NFL Network and all that, you're looking close to a grand between all the streaming services," said Mark Kindall.

He nailed it.

I asked this trio the same question: How much do you think you would be paying?

"I wouldn't say more than $100" said Ronan (left)

His friends were right on the money and guessed $1,000.

"Wow bro, that's expensive," Ronan said.

And Ronan had some advice for those looking to cut costs.

"You have to customize your own packages," Ronan said.

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The Detroit Lions are riding into this season as a threat to a lot of teams. Now on Sunday, they are going to be taking on the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field, featuring the return of former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

I went out asked people about all this preseason buzz surrounding the Lions. My question was simple: do you believe the Lions are going to be as good as they say they are going to be this year, or are you not believing the hype?

"Hey I like Matt (Stafford) because he's our Matt," said Elbert. "But I feel like Matt is coming into a different Lions den now."

Like many other Lions fans, Johnathan has one lofty goal this season.

"2024-25, it is the Super Bowl this year," Johnathan said.

Lions fans are undeniably excited for this season, and the feel around Downtown Detroit is electric. It's what everyone is focused on this week, even if you're watching the game from home.

"There are people in their 50s and 60s that would say this is the most excited they've been for football," said Jim Costa, a radio host with 97.1 The Ticket. "It's because of what they did last year and the NFC title."

Johnathan was visiting family back home in Detroit from Dallas, and of course had to stop to pick up some new Lions gear to rep in Cowboy territory.

"I got a Detroit Lions jacket," Johnathan said. "I am still optimistic they're going to make it to the Super Bowl."

"What was last season like for you as a Lions fan?" I asked him.

"It was pretty wonderful," Johnathan replied. "I loved last season, I think they could've got away from San Francisco, but it is what it is."

"They may not be the greatest team on paper right now, but I feel like after this season here right now, we'll be in discussion," Elbert said.

"They are ready to take the next step as an organization," Jim said. "Playoff wins, home playoff games, Division Championship banners, it really feels like the sky is the limit."

Luke Every is working at his Dad's shop right across the street from Ford Field, and says business has been booming. They're all stocked up, and like many other Lions fans, Luke recalls the last time Stafford was at Ford Field.

"When it came, Round One of the Playoffs, Wildcard, against Matthew Stafford, it was just wild," Luke said.

"Did you think in 29 years you'd see the Lions get into the playoffs?" I asked Lions fan Andrew Wright.

"I mean no not really," said 29-year-old Andrew. "But you hope, as long as you have good talent."

Then I met some Jacksonville Jaguars fans looking at Lions Merch.

"I am with the Lions, but I am a Jaguar fan," said Ashley Scott. "I was disappointed, they didn't go all the way."

"Lions fans, you've waited your entire life for this," Jim said. "Enjoy it, embrace it, bask in expectations."

Where Your Voice Matters

Michigan has become the latest state to require a personal finance class as part of the educational curriculum.

In 2022, only eight states required a personal finance course. Now in 2024, that number has grown to 26.

So I wanted to know: What kind of financial advice did people have for the younger generation still in high school?

"The first is to start saving early," said Alissa Williams. "Second thing is to not get caught up in credit card debt."

"One thing they should do is save their money," Janet Martin told me. "My Dad taught me to save half of my paycheck, and I started working at 13."

"Learn accounting," said Andrew Housey. "Because it's an every day, all over the place, it's in your life and you need to know what to do and those finances are important."

"They need to safeguard themselves from getting too deep into debt," said Gib Rist.

"I would say your credit score is a pretty big thing like if you want to rent, get a loan anything really buy your first car," said Elian Isisi.

"I would say start putting a smaller amount into your savings, maybe $20 especially at that age," said Deja Lad.

"You have to budget and that means you have to sacrifice," said Jerome Kyler. "Eat peanut butter and jelly instead of steak and caviar."

Where Your Voice Matters

Whether you're hitting the open road for a last-minute getaway, enjoying a local festival, or relaxing with friends and family, Labor Day weekend promises to be a perfect blend of leisure and celebration.

You could be headed Up North with family or friends, or sticking around locally cooking up a feast on the grill.

I spoke with several metro Detroiters about their Labor Day weekend plans, and here's what they told me.

"I am going to Houghton Lake with some of my friends to play some golf," Niko Mantzio said.

"Biggest thing is I'm headed to Ann Arbor to catch the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines win their home opener against Fresno State," Justin Zayid said.

"Just going to stay with the family, BBQ a little bit, chill out for the most part," Christian Forest Jones said.

"Probably just going to hang out with some friends, go to the lake on Sunday, maybe BBQ, take some footballs, a volleyball net," Mike Fawaz said.

"Is it a tradition of yours to go Up North?" I asked Mantzio.

"Of, of course. If you're a Michigan person, you're obviously going to be doing something Up North during the holiday," he said.

"What's your favorite thing on the BBQ?" I asked Jones.

"The food. It's gotta be the food. Mom's homemade mac and cheese. It's creamy, rich, just everything you want in mac and cheese," Jones said.

Where Your Voice Matters

In a remarkable display of adaptability, Kingsfield Grooming in Rochester opened its doors to customers outdoors Wednesday after experiencing a power outage early Wednesday morning.

The power outage happened after powerful storms moved through metro Detroit and left more than 300,000 DTE customers in the dark.

Video: Chopper shows storm damage in nearby Rochester Hills Chopper 7 video over storm damage in Rochester Hills

Instead of closing up for the day, the team decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and continue providing their barber services outside.

Barber Seth Imbruneone recounted the unexpected turn of events.

I started this morning at 7:45 a.m. with a nice haircut but halfway through my next appointment, I lost power. I finished that one inside using a flashlight, Imbruneone said.

Despite the unusual circumstances, customers embraced the outdoor experience. Alex Vanluvender needed a trim for an upcoming wedding.

I got the text message about the outdoor setup, and this was my only option. The weather is beautiful and theres a nice breeze its perfect, Vanluvender said.

He added that the atmosphere was uplifting.

The vibe is fantastic, everyone is in high spirits and its a really cool experience, Vanluvender said.

Owner Jaime Reyes highlighted the importance of keeping the business running despite the challenges.

Business cant stop and we have to keep going, he said, emphasizing the commitment of the Kingsfield team to their customers.

Reyes said power isn't expected to be back on until Friday, but they will adapt to conditions depending on weather and will be open for services.

Summer Break is officially coming to an end for kids all across Metro Detroit and in the coming days, they will be starting their next chapter.

So as your official 7 News Detroit advice gathering reporter, I found six kids of all different ages who gave some really good advice.

"Why is it important not to go in scared?" I asked Jackson Phillips.

"I think if you go in scared, you're just going to be scared, and you're not going to do as well," Jackson said. "I know that has happened to me a lot where you go into your first year scared and then the teacher calls on you and you're freaking out."

"Bring your stuff to class," said Violet Duenow. "Like your pencils and your folders and your notebooks, because if you forget them you probably need them for class and your teacher might now have them for you."

Elliot is going into high school, but before middle school, he had to practice something that took me years to work on: locker combinations.

"Once you do it after a couple years, it gets easier," Elliot said. "The best way to get better at it is to practice it like a lot."

Here's some simple advice: "Don't get in trouble," William Hardy told me.

"I think you should not be afraid and be nice and make friends," said Kennedy Phillips. "If someone is sad or if someone is scared because they don't have any friends, you can go and cheer them up and say 'do you want to play with me and my friends?'"

"If you're nice you can make lots of friends," said Daniel Hardy.

When asked for one piece of advice someone shared with him about high school, Elliot said to "try a lot of activities and sports."

"You just got to be calm, don't freak out, that is my advice," Jackson said.

My pieces of advice for any kids reading this: say your please and thank yous, and make sure you do know your combination to your lock on your locker.

Where Your Voice Matters

It's a project in Farmington that has been 12 years in the making. A vacant downtown high school, now getting it's next chapter, with the property being transformed into a new housing development.

Farmington is pretty much built out and the only way for more housing in this small town is to tear down buildings like this. This old school building and what's going to to be going in there is 53 new townhomes. It's a beautiful and walkable town, and now more people will be able to enjoy it with new housing.

I spoke with city leaders about those next steps, and spoke with residents who had mixed feelings on the project.

Some who live in Farmington, like longtime resident Genevieve Lilley, are pumped about this new economic development.

"I'm excited to see what comes of it," Genevieve said. "I've been a Farmington resident my whole life. I actually live down the street from the building. The fact that something is getting put in it (after) it's been abandoned for a long time, like you said, is also exciting."

On Monday, major stakeholders, including the mayor, were in attendance as demolition crews continued the tear down of the former Maxfield Training Center.

"In order for us to met any growth objective here in the city, we have to find a way to densify property that becomes available," said Mayor Joe LaRussa. "We don't have a lot of green field that can be built on."

"Projects like this are absolutely important," said Hilary Doe, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "Housing is economic development, it's really the foundation of growing our state."

Once construction is all complete, it will become Hillside Townes, a new $16 million community consisting of seven three-story buildings with 53 townhomes with the first units available beginning next year.

Larry Cook says this project is a great idea, but he does have some concerns.

"You can only make a condo or an apartment building so much beauty, but the space between that and the river and the park is very important," Larry pointed out.

Luke Lefiles says he wishes they could've kept the building to put it to different use.

"I am not looking forward to more construction," Lefiles said. "We always thought it was a strange neglected spot that should be utilized for the community. I never understood why we're building more and more homes, I mean there's plenty of homes here."

"The timing was about finding the right combination of factors leading to success," said Mayor LaRussa.

Where Your Voice Matters

As the days start to get shorter and the summer starts to wind down many are preparing to go back to school into a new grade with new teachers and maybe even new friends.

I spoke with several people from here in South Lyon, who gave me some great advice to share with you about how you can be successful this upcoming school year, and you can use this advice for the rest of your life.

"You have to treat everybody with respect I mean, 'please and thank you', 'yes maam no ma'am', Im kinda old-school that way open the door for women and children," said Mike. "In my opinion your cell phone down talk to people."

"Reach out to new friends talk to everyone as much as you can and just be involved in present and be involved in every bit of it," said Rachel Smith. "Nice goes a long way be kind to everyone. Because you dont know what anyone is going through."

"(It's important to learn) how to rely on people around you and not taking the burden on to yourself," Rachel said.

I then met Mike Carano. He owns multiple businesses, including one right on the corner in downtown South Lyon. He was helping wait on tables, but was kind enough to let me ask him a couple of Questions about life and get some valuable advice to share with you.

"Do something that you enjoy I think that is the most important thing that I think you can ever get and do. Dont just get into a business. Because people think you wanna get into that...do what you enjoy," Mike said. "Make sure that you are a hard worker and again its something that you enjoy doing And if you have that drive, and you are willing to work hard, you can be ultra-successful."

Where Your Voice Matters

Back-To-School supplies continue to rise and are costing parents hundreds of dollars. But there could be some hope when it comes to catching a break.

Notebooks, pens, clothing, electronics, and backpacks: the prices of those items just keep on climbing.

This is Ashley Bertand. She has three children, and they just made one of multiple trips for school supplies.

"This was $196 with the barebone minimum with pulling out for last year," Bertand said. "Crossing off what we could re-use and that is only two of them at the list age...it's not a huge number at the end of the day, but that could be an extra excursion to something fun."

Stephanie Elso told me she has spent $200-300 on school supplies so far this summer.

"My daughter is going into preschool right now things add up," Elso said. "I am actually just about to go in for school supplies not only do they need like pencils and crayons but also a water bottle and a lunch box and the teachers are asking for for supplies."

But there could be some hope on the horizon: Rochester Hills State Representative Mark Tisdel introduced Bill 5805 in June. He says this bill aims to bring a tax-free holiday to the state to Back-to-School supplies on the third weekend of August every year on both Saturday and Sunday.

"Everbody has had problems at the cash register," Tisdel said. "Parents could use a break and help getting their kids back to school, and if we can't cut them a little break at the cash register this time of year then when can we cut them some slack?"

Right now, only 20 states have a tax-free holiday for Back-to-School Supplies. According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary school through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 this year on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics.

While this bill may help families with children, there is no estimate on how much revenue the state could gain or lose, but Representative Tisdel says they'll figure it out.

"What we have to do is recognize what is in front of us today and again it's not a huge number," Tisdel said. "It's not a big tax burden for the state of Michigan and there are plenty of places where we can find savings."

Parents I spoke with are hopeful that relief may soon by on the way.

"Anything helps," Bertand said.

"I think it would be helpful with everything being so expensive the last couple of years so any kind of break we could get would be great," said Maria Hernandez.

Where Your Voice Matters

Earlier this week, Presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. This comes just weeks after President Joe Biden announced he would be stepping out of the race.

On X, Vice President Harris said, "I am proud to announce that I've asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his. It's great to have him on the team."

The selection of a running mate is a crucial decision for any presidential candidate, with the potential to sway undecided voters and shape the outcome of the election.

I sat down with people like Democratic voter Cindy Cochran at the Dodge Park Coney Island in Sterling Heights to talk about VP Harris' pick.

"That was her decision to make," Cochran said. "I am relying on her to know who is the better choice, and Minnesota seemed like a good choice because we need the vote in Minnesota.

Then I spoke with city councilman Michael Rateke.

"I think Walz is going to be a great pick because he is able to explain complicated things very simply," Rateke said. "I am incredibly excited for him. He's got the Midwestern nice, and I think the rest of the country is going to find out how great people are in the Midwest."

Republican Mark Yarsike thinks different than his Democratic counterparts.

"I think she feels very comfortable with him, they're both socialist," Yarsike said. "You can't say they're Democrats, you can't say he's from a Democratic state...I think it's going to hurt her. It really shows the people who she is of the left wing."

Republican Peter Sanchez and his daughter were having lunch, and I asked him what he thought of the VP pick.

"I had no problem with it," Sanchez said. "It was a good pick because they want to win Minnesota."

However, Sanchez does believe Trump will be President again this coming election.

"I think we will be No. 1, and I think he will be President of the United States again," Sanchez said.

Putting political differences aside, Mark and Michael sat down and politely agreed to disagree, but they're still friends.

Where Your Voice Matters

Today is primary day, and polling locations will open at 7 a.m. across Metro Detroit and the state.

If you still have not registered to vote yet, there's still time, and you can register up until 8 p.m. today at your city or town clerk's office. And if you're still in line at 8 p.m., don't worry, you still have a right to vote, even if the polls close.

I went to Rochester to speak with voters about what is driving them to the primaries this time around. The reason we picked Rochester is because it has a mixture of Democrats and Republicans.

The election cycle is heating up and many people from Rochester Hills are headed to cast their vote in the August primary.

Several congressional seats are up for grabs, and it could decide who takes control of the house come November.

My first stop was Paul's kitchen, where I spoke with diners about today's primary, and why they're going to vote.

"I have a full time job, I work Door Dash, I do Amazon," said Jennifer Krause. "My husband has a great job but he is also doing those things to get the extra things that we need.

Krause says she always votes during the primaries and says there's a lot on the line.

"School board," Krause said. "Border, the economy. (We're a ) middle income family, two blue-collar workers and it's hard."

"Is this primary important to you?" I asked Beatrice.

"Somewhat, because of the election coming up in November," she said. "I definitely have an opinion on that."

I followed up by asking Beatrice what's driving her to the polls.

"A lot of it has to do with the last four years mainly," she said. "I just want to make sure my vote gets in there.

I then spoke with Pamela Durden, who just turned in her absentee ballot. She voted early because she is normally on vacation during this time.

"Economics, you're always concerned," Durden said on what's driving her to the polls. "I am recently retired, so I want to make sure my income is steady and my investments are doing well. That's the most important thing. I care about the educational system for our children, the future."

Then I met with Debbie, who is still undecided.

"We want the best candidates available in November, so that would be what the driving force is," Debbie said. "I am weighing all my options."

Where Your Voice Matters