Ask Amy: Consent should be up to niece, not her aunt
Dear Upset: You should contact your daughters, as a group, and ask an open-ended question: “Ladies: What were you thinking? What’s this about?”
They may respond, “Oh, Mom, get it together – it was a joke!” To which you can say, “Really? Please explain to me exactly what the joke is here, because I’m not getting it. On the other hand, it seems to be working for Stanley. He’s never been happier.”
Attach a video of the cat with his new sex toy, which should help to make your point, leavened with some humor.
Dear Amy: My friend and her family help me out with projects around my house.
Recently her husband has developed “wandering hands.”
I give everyone a hug and thank them before they leave, and he has started grabbing my backside when I hug him. I’m disgusted by this. It makes me angry and uncomfortable. I’ve told him numerous times to stop and have threatened to tell his wife.
He says I won’t. It’s a sticky situation, as his wife is ill and I can’t imagine adding more to her already full plate.
I’m also afraid she won’t believe me and that it will be the end of our friendship.
I’ve never given him any reason to believe that I’m even remotely interested in him. How do I stop this unwelcome behavior and maintain my friendship?
– Upset
Dear Upset: Hire someone else to help around the house. Keep your distance from this man.
If he does this again, call him out immediately and in front of others.
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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.)
©2021 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
