ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My husband has adult children from his first wife. My new daughter-in-law has become quite vocal about jewelry items that I wear. Lately, she's been commenting on a diamond ring, and it's the second time she's made remarks at family gatherings about it, saying, "I want that ring!"

I find that rude and unsettling. How should I ...Read more

Dear Amy: My women friends and I are all mothers of teenagers. Due to current events, we've discussed sexual assault and the roles and responsibilities of the various parties. One of my closest friends expressed the opinion that many girls these days "dress like tramps," so it's not surprising that boys respond sexually. She even said she had ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband, John, recently returned from his fourth Middle East tour after having been gone for a year. As soon as he got back, his mother invited him and his two sisters on a vacation cruise for a week. He said yes, and they'll be leaving in a couple of weeks. The downside is -- no spouses allowed.

John and I are in our mid-40s. We ...Read more

Dear Annie: We belong to a dinner group with six married couples. One of the couples divorced after the husband caught his wife having an affair. He no longer comes to the dinner parties, but the ex-wife still shows up and brings her new (married) boyfriend. They have been together for three years.

Here's the bigger problem: She flirts with ...Read more

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

I have a daughter, and some other moms of daughters and I have started getting together at a local playground at a set time each week. Recently a mom of a boy brought her son to the playground at the same time we were there. I asked her (nicely, I thought) if she would mind leaving ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a question and hope your advice will make me see the light. I have been dating and living with my boyfriend off and on for 12 years. We currently are living together. I have left a couple of times throughout the course of the 12 years because he was on dating sites and I found out. We just recently got back together, and he ...Read more

Dear Amy: My 29-year-old stepdaughter, "Jamie," is getting married next year to a man she has lived with for three years.

They are both professionals with good-paying jobs. They own a home.

Some time ago, Jamie emailed my husband (her dad) asking how much he could contribute to the wedding.

She did not tell us where she wanted to get married,...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am conflicted about boundaries being crossed between my family therapist and me. My 7-year-old son and I have been seeing someone we both bonded with and felt comfortable with. That is, until the therapist and I found each other on an online dating site.

We matched a few months ago. Once I realized it was him, I felt embarrassed ...Read more

Dear Annie: My soon-to-be ex-wife and I live on the West Coast, while my 92-year-old mother lives in a senior facility in New York. She is happy there. She is still mentally sharp, but her body is starting to become frail. My wife has become the primary caregiver for Mom. She visits a few times a year and pampers Mom with pedicures, foot ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was widowed two years ago. I joined a group last year that gets out and does things together. About 10 months ago, I started dating one of the guys in the group. We are both in our 60s. In the beginning, he called and asked me to dinner and other activities. Now, when I am running errands and he calls, he asks, "Are you going to ...Read more

Dear Amy: How should I respond to parents of troubled offspring? These not-so-young adults seem set on destroying themselves or going to jail. Some have committed unspeakable acts and endangered others.

These parents and their sons and daughters have been my friends for many years. I saw nothing but love in their homes. I am not a parent, so I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am an unemployed (and looking) 24-year-old male who is the oldest of four. My three sisters are a 20-year-old who has a part-time job and goes to college, a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old. We all live at home with our physician parents.

Our longtime cleaning lady recently quit, and my parents seemingly have no interest in hiring a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been in a relationship with "John" for more than 12 years. We have separate homes. He has never been married and has no children. I have been married twice and have five grown kids.

John still has his ex-girlfriends in his life. He used to have them clean his house, which he said was "none of my business." He would meet ...Read more

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

I've recently gotten a bad diagnosis. My doctors and husband are taking great care of me, but I have not shared this news with my adult children or my elderly mom. It grieves me that I am going to cause emotional upheaval. The fear they will feel is the main thing I wish I could avoid. ...Read more

Dear Annie: Is there such a thing as mobile phone etiquette? I know that I am a dinosaur, but is it OK for someone to be looking at his or her phone for the majority of the time he or she is in the company of someone socially? It feels so lonesome to me. All of my life's conditioning taught me to pay attention to the one I'm with. Now I feel ...Read more

Dear Amy: My parents have taken in my 95-year-old grandfather. Money is not a problem, so he could have gone into a nursing home or into assisted living. My grandfather has six other kids, and no one else wanted him to live with them.

I feel as if I have lost my parents until my grandfather passes. I'll invite them to come to their grandchild's...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend is divorced. His ex's name is tattooed on his arm. Although I don't like it, I realize that it was long ago and before I came into the picture.

As we have grown closer over the last two years, I'm often tempted to ask him to have it removed or covered up. I think it's tacky, and I don't like it at all. I know I ...Read more

Dear Annie: Ten years ago, my father passed away, leaving my mother well provided for. Since then, she has spent nearly 80 percent of the estate on herself, my brother and his children.

My brother is her favorite child. He has had an up-and-down career. When times are good, he spends a lot of money. When times are bad, he runs to Mom. In the ...Read more

Dear Carolyn:

I'm tearing my hair out over a friend whose life is demonstrably easier than mine in many ways, but who never stops complaining: She doesn't have enough money (her household income is 50 percent larger than mine). She doesn't have enough time (her job comes with six weeks of paid vacation; mine has three). Etc. Etc.

I've tried...Read more