Ask Amy: Elder neighbor wasn’t a peach
My son-in-law is no help; he told me it’s a fun thing for them to do.
I am begging you to tell them to stop!
— Afraid Grandma
Dear Grandma: I agree with being cautious about beginning a correspondence with a pen pal, certainly when there are children involved.
Your daughter has been cautious, doing her best to confirm the identities of the people her children are corresponding with. Both parents are involved and engaged.
I do NOT share your hysteria about this. Pen pals have existed for as long as people have been able to send and receive letters. Many wonderful lifelong friendships have started with pen pal correspondences between strangers.
Yes, there is always a risk of revealing your identity and address to strangers, but individuals manage this risk every single day in their online worlds.
You would be wise to develop a friendly and nonjudgmental interest in this. That way, the children would be inspired to share their correspondence with you, enabling you to make sure it is not placing them at risk.
Dear Amy: I get frustrated sometimes when you refer to things in your column that I’ve never heard of. Not everyone is as familiar as you are with popular TV shows, movies, or books.
Please make your answers accessible for everyone.
— Upset
Dear Upset: If you stumble across a reference you don’t know about, I hope you will look it up, or ask someone to fill you in.
========
(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.)
©2021 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
