Ask Amy: Cheating boyfriend claims he was hacked
I don't know how to bring up this subject because I worry that I won't be taken seriously, but I also don't want to keep having this experience over and over. If I were frequently invited to my children's homes where they could cook and clean for me, I guess that would be an equal tradeoff, but that is not the case.
— Sad & Frustrated
Dear Sad: Maybe you helped your mother because she (or someone else) asked you to one or more times, until you absorbed this helpful attitude as a core value.
Your husband has obviously set a terrible example, and you don’t seem to have marshaled the power of your own voice to ask for help.
Holiday meals tend to be busy and chaotic as family members get caught up in conversations.
After the next holiday meal, you should sit at the table and ask one or more of your grown children: “Could you lend a hand by clearing the table and getting the dishes started? I’m going to finish my coffee and catch my breath.” And then you patiently wait, while those around you look at each other, grumble, and (hopefully) rise to the occasion.
Dear Amy: “Desperate” declared that she was going to “take” her parents’ car keys if they didn’t agree to hide in their house during the pandemic.
Thank you for reminding her that she cannot just sweep into a household and control her folks’ movements. They have the right to make their own choices.
— Free Will
Dear Free Will: … Even if these choices are poor ones.
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2020 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
