ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My grandsons are 5 and 9 and old enough to sleep alone. However, they sleep together in a queen-sized bed, and their mother regularly crawls in with them. She has been doing that since they were toddlers.

The boys have told their mother that they do not want her in the bed any longer, but she continues to do so, saying they need her...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with my fiance for 14 years, and we have had our fair share of problems. Three months ago, I left, taking our kids with me. But I came back when he asked me to. I figured I owed it to the children to try to work things out. But nothing has changed.

I don't have a job outside the home. However, I do have credit card debt....Read more

Dear Readers: Happy Valentine's Day to one and all, along with our special good wishes to the veterans in Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country. And our particular thanks to those readers who have taken the time to send valentines, visit the vets and volunteer at VA facilities. Bless each and every one of you.

Dear Annie: Thirty years ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a 75-year-old friend who was brutally beaten by an intruder. "Jim" allowed the stranger to enter his home when he claimed he needed to use the telephone. Jim suffered broken bones and head trauma and spent time in a rehab facility. He still hasn't fully recovered and is mostly confined to bed.

Jim has no close family. He ...Read more

ATTENTION CLASSIC ANNIE'S MAILBOX EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2014. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION -- CREATORS.COM

Dear Annie: We live in a small rural community where sports help keep the kids off the streets. My 14-year-old son loves sports. He is well-rounded, makes excellent grades and has good friends. This year...Read more

Dear Annie: A few years ago, my wife went out of town for a conference. A month after she returned, I was on our computer and noticed that she hadn't logged out of her email. My curiosity got the best of me, and I saw that she had traded emails with an old boyfriend. I then discovered that the two of them had met while she was at the conference....Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 22 years. We each have two kids from previous marriages, and together, we have a son. All of our kids are doing wonderfully, except for my wife's daughter.

I don't mind helping out now and then, but "Bertha" is a complete mess. She is 33, with three children from three different fathers, none of...Read more

Dear Annie: Last year, I was laid off from work. Knowing my financial burden, our son asked whether he and his family could move in with us to help out. We reluctantly agreed.

The issue is our 7-year-old granddaughter. "Lulu" is spoiled by her mother. There is no accountability for her actions. Her mother makes all kinds of excuses, and it's ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a live-in caregiver for my grandmother, who is in failing health. She has five children (including my father) who do absolutely nothing for her because they say Grandma is a mean, nasty person, which she is. Grandma feeds off of negativity and gossip. Nothing is ever good enough, and she blames everyone else for her own ...Read more

Dear Annie: Our 14-year-old daughter is not a terrible kid -- probably just a typical teenage girl. She can be rude and obnoxious, she talks back and curses and she leaves her room an upside-down mess and is obsessed with her iPhone, constantly posting pictures of herself online and chatting with friends.

We have another daughter five years ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently found out that my husband has been calling escorts who advertise online. I am not sure whether he ever hooked up with any of them. I am just shocked that he is doing this and that it has been going on for quite some time.

I feel stupid that it took me so long to pick up on it. It appears he and his buddies had this ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 69 years old, and my lovely lady friend is 65. We've only been dating for seven months, but I love her very much. However, a few things about her drive me up the wall.

We live apart, and that is fine; she stays with me for a week and then goes home for a week. Here's the problem. She is an impulsive shopper. She never leaves ...Read more

Dear Annie: Last summer, I gave birth to twins who were several weeks early. Throughout the time they were in the hospital, we had family support.

My husband and I made the decision that for the first day home, we'd have no visitors. This enraged my mother. She felt we stole away her joy of being a grandma and that we were very rude. Since ...Read more

Dear Annie: Both of my parents recently died, and my younger brother was named trustee of their trust. My parents' home represents the majority of the trust, although it was not on the list of assets. Instead, my brother and his wife are claiming the home as compensation for time they spent with the folks in their last years.

This was the first...Read more

Dear Annie: I am beyond speechless at some of the things my husband's parents say and do, and yet he lets all of this roll off his back.

My in-laws often treat my husband's brother and kids to vacations to which we and our kids are not invited. Then they show us the photos and brag about all the fun they had. I can hardly stand to be in the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 53 and in love with a 33-year-old man. We've been together for three years, but the problem is that he says he just wants to be friends. I care about him a lot. I think there may be someone else, but I'm not sure.

I don't want to lose him from my life. What should I do? Should I tell him how I feel? Should I ask him whether he'...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a question regarding the appropriateness of a grandfather sleeping with a 5-year-old granddaughter during visits to her family home. In this case, the grandmother and grandfather take turns sleeping in the same bed with the granddaughter.

I feel this is most inappropriate and sends very mixed messages to the child. I have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a 40-year-old daughter who is lazy. When she injures herself, has surgery or is sick, I wait on her like she's a baby. But I recently needed surgery myself, and she has had no interest in helping me at all.

A while back, I hired someone to clean her bedroom. It took two days. It was absolutely disgusting. Now that I can't ...Read more

Dear Annie: Why is it OK to photograph children and babies half-dressed or naked? I don't mean pornography. I'm writing about family photos, TV shows and magazine advertisements.

Babies are people who have no say over their own bodies. I feel sorry for these children. I don't think it's cute or adorable. They would look just as cute in a little...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 46 years old, college-educated, with no children. I recently celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary. It's not what I would call a good marriage. My husband occasionally has fits of anger and has been verbally abusive.

More than eight years ago, I had a miscarriage. My husband wanted to keep trying. He has repeatedly said that he...Read more