ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I have a young, preteen grandson who is asking his parents facts of life questions. They are bewildered about how to give him the information. I'd be grateful if you could share details of the publication you have for this purpose and how to get it. -- GRANDMOM IN CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MICH.

DEAR GRANDMOM: Many parents find the subject ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for three years. He's 26, and I'm 28. We have a good life, and he loves my 9-year-old daughter like his own child.

My husband is originally from Turkey and comes from a good family. However, I have yet to meet my in-laws. He avoids talking about my meeting them. I have talked to his younger sister ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister and I are 42 and 50. Our parents divorced 30 years ago, and Dad has been remarried for about 20 years. Although he lives across the country, we see him twice a year and have what I think is a healthy, strong relationship.

Over the past 10 years, he and his wife have been taking international hiking trips abroad. Before they...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm engaged to be married to a wonderful woman who has a 6-year-old daughter with her ex-husband. They share joint custody.

His controlling nature was a major factor in her decision to end their marriage. Even now, after being divorced more than two years, he tries to control her life. One way is by insisting on pictures of the three...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I own a small retail shop. One of my employees (I'll call her Sara) has been with us for a number of years. Until recently she's been a stellar employee. She has been through several traumas during the past year, including the death of her father, unexpected injuries and medical bills, and finding out that her husband had molested her...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently attended a friend's party that was being given to celebrate their son's 18th birthday. I thought it would be cheeky and fun to buy him a risque card from an adult boutique, thinking everyone would get a good laugh, and we'd have something to roast the young man with. When he opened the card, he had this look of horror on ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 54-year-old single woman who recently started dating again after four years of total abstinence. My two adult daughters, ages 18 and 22, live at home with me.

My dilemma: I am smitten, to say the least, with an attractive, supportive and very loving man. I have invited him over and introduced him to the girls, which went well ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a concern as a grandmother about our youngest grandchild, age 10. He is addicted to video games. There has been quite a lot of publicity on how bad this can be for children.

When we visit, he never comes to greet us or even to talk to us. Once when we were getting ready to go out to dinner, he was screaming at his mom and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Thank you for responding to Crystal in Nevada's June 7 question about her aunt and her aunt's baby who was stillborn. Few people talk openly about pregnancy loss, yet I worry your response might discourage parents from remembering their children out loud, for fear it might seem too morbid for others.

My daughter, Evelyn, was born at ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister is driving me and our other sister nuts. There are five years between the three of us. We are all seniors who live in the same city and have always been close.

Abby, the oldest talks nonstop. It was always a family joke, but it's gotten worse. Now she interrupts people to tell her story (after all, everything is all about ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I just started dating an amazing guy. He is sweet, funny and handsome, but I don't feel as strongly for him as he does for me. Maybe it's too early in the relationship for me to be worried about feelings, or maybe as much as I want to have deep feelings for him, I don't.

Lately, I have been tempted to cheat. That sounds awful, I know...Read more

DEAR ABBY: For the last 12 years, we have been traveling 7 1/2 hours to see my husband's grandparents. This happens several times a year. Each time I pray it will be the last visit.

Invariably, when we return home, I am sick for about a week, and it's getting worse. At 96, Grandma isn't cleaning the house (Grandpa died four years ago). She ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My stepbrother Pete is a recovering addict who did significant prison time for possession and gang affiliations. He has also had multiple DUI convictions. He's been out for two years and is holding a job and taking care of his kids part-time.

My parents think he's completely rehabilitated, but I think he's using again, based on his ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married 36 years to a woman who has saved my life and soul. We are both faithful to God and to our marriage, sharing the love of our family. We are blessed in many ways -- including a great son who is self-sufficient and prospering, and a daughter who is married and takes on any challenge with confidence.

I have one guilt...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Four years ago, I became friends with a co-worker and things took off too fast. Within a couple of months, I became pregnant. We were thrown together without really even knowing each other because, deep down, we wanted a family and decided to stick it out.

Well, it's been a hell of a ride. I ended up having to leave because neither ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: In the last few years I have had a string of failed relationships. Nothing bad happened, and there were no fights or arguments. The ladies tell me I'm great and an amazing person. Yet they don't want to be in a relationship, or they cheat or lie to me.

I'm a very open, understanding guy. I believe communication is key to success in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son and his fiancee, Breanna, have planned a destination wedding in another country. Breanna's mother's family vacations there every couple of years, so they decided to have the wedding there when her extended family will be vacationing.

The reason Breanna gave me was that she is embarrassed by some of my family members and doesn'...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 19-year-old girl who's been with my boyfriend for two years. We are a wonderful match and love each other very much. There's just one flaw in our relationship that I hold lots of guilt over. From the beginning, we have both known he would like to have kids, and I have always known that I do not. I don't want biological children,...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My newly retired husband and I lead a nice life and are in good health. Our two girls are grown and established. Our battle is over my husband taking back some of the duties I have performed for years, like paying and mailing out our monthly bills, some of which I pay in person.

This task is easy for me and never a hardship. We have ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have an extensive history of childhood trauma. I was sexually abused by my stepfather for 15 years. When I turned him in, my family turned their backs on me. I was told it could have been handled within the family, and they blamed me for acting sexy. My stepfather spent 10 years in prison and died a few years later.

I suffer from ...Read more