Blog Posts by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine

Divorce rates are finally dropping, but that doesn't mean people are forging stronger family units. With fewer people getting married these days, the number of kids living in households with two unmarried parents is on the rise. And, according to new research released today by the National Marriage Project and the Institute for American Values, that may as bad for kids as dealing with a parent's divorce.

In the report, "Why Marriage Matters: Thirty Conclusions from the Social Sciences," researchers say that couples who live together without getting married are far less stable than married couples-and it's the kids who struggle the most. "Children in cohabiting households are more likely to suffer from a range of emotional and social problems-drug use, depression, and dropping out of high school-compared to children in intact, married families," the report says.

"I think there's good news and bad news in this report," says W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia, the lead

Read More »from Not married, with children? Report says cohabiting and kids don't mix

It's stark and serious, in black-and-white: A beautiful teenage girl sitting on her bed with a stack of index cards in her hand. The first one reads: "Hey, I'm Kenna." She smiles, flutters her fingers at the camera, and shows the next index card. As the cards go by, and without saying a single word out loud, she tells you that she's 18, graduated at the top of her class, and is getting ready for her freshman year in college. But then her face gets grim, and she shares the rest of her story:

The video, "You're not alone," was posted on June 4 and, given the way it's touched a chord for people from all walks of life, it's more than just another uplifting chapter in Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign. In another video posted on August 7, Kenna offers an update about what's happened since "You're not alone" went viral. And yes, there is a happy ending...

Also on Shine:

• No more bullying
• A short guide for parents with LGBT children
• The best relationship advice

Read More »from A teenager's story with a powerful message (video)

Anthony Morelli and Allison Morelli (Photo: Screengrab from The Today Show)It started out as a way to vent about his acrimonious divorce and bitter custody dispute, but three and a half years later his blog, The Psycho Ex Wife, has turned into a battle over free speech and due process. And while the adults argue over whose rights are being trampled on, the real issue remains: Is publicly bashing a parent ever in the best interests of his or her kids?

Anthony Morelli, 43, and his girlfriend, Misty Weaver-Ostinato, started their blog in December 2007, and still insist that it's never been about Morelli's ex-wife but about their own experiences with divorce. "We have been through 3 custody evaluations, 6 false contempt petitions, 3 custody schedules, 1 psych evaluation, 1 false child abuse allegation, 2 false calls to the local sheriff's office, 4 years of parental alienation, $80,000, 1 break in, 1 case of stalking, 1 restraining order, and we FINALLY have 50/50 custody of their children," reads the first post, which was written Weaver-Ostinato, a divorced

Read More »from Bashing your ex in public may be free speech, but is it in your children's best interests?

People are blaming everyone from Congress as a whole to President Barack Obama in particular for Standard & Poor's downgrading the credit rating of United States from AAA to AA+ on Friday. But what most people still want to know is: How will the downgrade really affect me?

The loss of the United States' AAA credit rating won't affect the average person as much as will Standard & Poor's downgrade of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac early Monday morning. The U.S.-government backed mortgage giants together own or guarantee half of all of the mortgages in the country; Fannie Mae reacted immediately by hiking up the rates they agree to pay lenders by about 0.15 percentage points, to about 4 percent; the increase is likely to lead to higher mortgage rates for new consumers.

People with adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit (HELOC) may see their rates rise. But there's a little bit of hope, the Associated Press reports: Since many ARMs and HELOCs are

Read More »from What does the U.S. credit rating downgrade really mean for your mortgage and credit card rates?

Also on Shine:

• Survey says: Moms who are main breadwinners would prefer a more-equal arrangement

• The world's most powerful women

• Money changes everything: If mom earns more than dad, who changes the diapers?

• Top 10 sexy, successful, and single celebrity women over 40

• Shine's most-inspiring women

Read More »from What do Kim Kardashian, Gisele Bundchen, and Katy Perry have in common? Celebrity women who out-earn their mates

Also on Shine:

• 11 movie dream homes we desperately want to own or rent

• Home decorating ideas inspired by celebrity homes

• 10 extreme dollhouses: Barbie never lived like this

• Designer Trip Haenisch takes us inside Courteney Cox's revamped Malibu haven

• 5 crazy things real estate ages are doing to sell your house

Read More »from Home, sweet home: From one celebrity to another

The balloon dresses aren't just for blushing brides. Check out this video from the 2009 Balloon Fashion Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Also on Shine:

• Introducing, the edible wedding dress

• Kim Kardashian chooses Vera Wang to design her wedding dress

• Kate Middleton's knockoff wedding dress on standby

• Toilet paper wedding cress contest winners: 12 bridal gowns you could buy with a coupon

• The best mass retail wedding gowns (video)

Read More »from Awesome/crazy: Wedding gowns made of balloons

The U.S. department of Health and Human services announced on Monday that certain health services for women, including prescription birth control and domestic violence counseling, will now be considered preventive care and, as such, must be covered by health insurance companies without charging a co-payment.

"Prevention really does pay in the long run," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview with Yahoo! Shine today. "It's better to address issues proactively than retroactively."

The decision follows recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine in July. In addition to prescription contraceptives, the mandate covers screening for and counseling about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, HPV screenings for women over age 30, screening for diabetes during pregnancy, support and equipment for mothers who are breastfeeding, and annual "well-woman" doctor's visits intended to identify health risk factors and coordinate other preventive services.

Read More »from Prescription birth control to be covered without a co-payment: What that really means for you