Mom wants to re-parent friend's spoiled child
Dear Grounded: First off, stop trying to parent these other parents. They are raising their daughter the way they want to. Your input is judgmental and seems self-serving, as if you want them to do things differently in order to make things easier for you.
Thirteen-year-olds often struggle with questions of status. Adolescents frequently express the desire for and jealousy over material possessions.
Your only job is to continue to convey your own values to your daughter, as in, "Well, we know that 'Heather' has all sorts of cool stuff, but there will always be someone around you who has more. And you are lucky enough to have more than others. I hope that you can work on your jealousy, because it is making you unhappy in this friendship."
Your involvement in this other family's parenting is completely inappropriate. You are contributing to the problem, because you are telling your daughter that Heather and Heather's parents are responsible for her own negative feelings and behavior.
Dear Amy: I don't understand why my sister-in-law hates me, but my brother revealed that every time they have a fight, my name is on the table.
I have never borrowed money or asked her to do any favors for me.
My sister-in-law sent me and all of my siblings a nasty text today, and I am really mad about it.
How can I deal with this without putting my brother in the middle?
-- Upset
Dear Upset: Your brother has actually put you in the middle of this.
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