Ask Amy: Homeowner confesses to out-of-control messes
Now that my youngest is moving into adulthood, should I express my unhappiness to these mini-adults?!
Their dad will play the victim, as he does daily.
When should I tell them I'm ready to move on? How should I deal their resentment toward me?
– Ready to Split
Dear Ready: You should do your research and make some solid plans before discussing this with your children. Doing so before you are prepared to leave invites them into your decision-making process. You should respect their views and responses, but not let them control you.
Children resent their parents for all sorts of reasons, some justified, some not. If you create a stable next chapter for yourself, your contentment will help you to cope with their reactions.
Dear Amy: “Testy Traveler” reported being bothered by her chatty seatmate, resulting in her writing a snarky text from her airplane seat, which the seatmate saw, causing a confrontation.
Your advice was terrible. Why is it always a woman’s duty to protect the emotions of those around her?
– Upset
Dear Upset: This seatmate’s only duty was to protect herself from conflict by plugging in her headphones and ignoring her seatmate. Instead, she pretended to be polite while behaving unkindly.
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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.
