Young mom longs for husband to be a helper
Come home promptly. Don't correct his parenting or complain about how he diapers the baby. You are giving your husband a chance to connect with the children and develop his own routines with them, and -- equally as important -- you will be giving yourself time to recharge.
If a friend or family member can watch the children occasionally, you two should de-stress together.
DEAR AMY: After years of a challenging friendship with "Stella," marked by bouts of drama, imagined slights and uneasy compromises, I finally chose to close the book on it three years ago. Stella had already decided to stop speaking to me because I took offense to an unpleasant personal situation she set in motion.
Not being in touch has been such a relief. It also helps that we live on opposite sides of the country, and our many mutual friends don't get involved.
In a few months we will both be attending our high school reunion, an event that I have always enjoyed. Our reunions are quite convivial affairs, and I am trying to figure out a civil way to deal with a possible confrontational encounter. She's practiced at playing the victim.
Should it happen, how do I politely and kindly head off any kind of blame game exchange? I'd like to make it clear that I have no desire to rehash the past, and that I have moved on. We're all there to have a good time. -- No Desire to Rekindle
DEAR NO DESIRE: If at this party you are forced to interact with "Stella," be polite and calm. If she brings some drama to the interaction, repeat your refrain: "We're all here to have a good time," and then excuse yourself and talk to someone else.
DEAR AMY: "Heartbroken" reported that as parents of the groom, they were distressed to see their names were not listed on the wedding invitation.
I felt their pain. Every wedding invitation should list both sets of parents! -- Disgusted
DEAR DISGUSTED: Formal, traditional wedding invitations come from the bride's parents, because they are considered the hosts of the wedding. There is no one way to do this and I agree that being inclusive is best.
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribpub.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook. Amy Dickinson's memoir, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter and the Town that Raised Them" (Hyperion), is available in bookstores.)
