ArcaMax

I understand you not wanting your children to call their parents' various partners "Mom" and "Dad," but I gather that what you really objected to about your own childhood was the revolving door, with your parent exposing your household to different men.

You and your ex have been separated for one year. Your boyfriend has been in your life for one year. This does not qualify as a revolving door, but it is a lot for two young children to transition quickly from parents to parents with partners.

What your daughter is expressing is a reflection of her own confusion regarding who is who, and possibly her own longing for the various adults in her life to be parental.

Don't punish her, and don't come down hard if she calls her father's girlfriend "Mom," but do encourage her to talk to you about her feelings.

I think it's OK for adults to bathe together if they can maintain their privacy (this is hard to do with a 3 year old in the household, and so yes, they should confine their co-bathing to when the kids aren't there).

Most importantly, it is NOT a good idea for both adults to be out of sight and unavailable when young children are awake and around. It is not safe to leave kids unattended while adults bathe together.

Dear Amy: Years ago, I was prescribed medication to help control my migraines. I always take one pill when I eat lunch.

I just open my pill case and swallow the medication before I forget. I never explain it, but if someone stares at me I'll say something about how grateful I am for medicine which controls my migraines. This is not a big deal, right?

It helps me to live functionally, but why would anyone other than me care?

Recently, my mother saw someone taking medicine when we were eating out and remarked that she thought that was unseemly. She suggested that going to a restroom stall would be the best option so other people couldn't witness taking a pill.

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