ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family and I are gearing up for our annual family vacation. My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend. I would prefer not to bring her along on an intimate weeklong trip because I feel that her clothing can be rather revealing, and she doesn't seem shy about PDA. I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Over the past few years, I've been fortunate enough to do well in my career and build some financial stability for myself. I'm proud of how far I've come, especially because my sibling and I grew up without much, and I know how hard it is to break out of that cycle. The problem is, my sibling seems to resent me for it. Lately, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my co-workers keeps going to my boss about every little thing he thinks I'm doing "wrong" -- even when it's something minor, subjective or easily fixable. It feels like he's constantly monitoring me, waiting for any small mistake or oversight, and instead of coming to me directly, he escalates it to my supervisor. This has...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had an intense relationship with a special man for nearly a year, and then he ghosted me. A few months later, he came back, but it has never been the same. He claims that his life is complicated right now, which includes him being out of work. I told him I could deal with that -- for a while, at least -- if he was attentive in ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a newish mom. My daughter is approaching her first birthday, but I still feel like a newbie. Learning all the tricks of motherhood has been a whirlwind, but something I didn't expect to be so hard is the shift I've been feeling in so many of my adult relationships. I am the only one from my immediate friend group who is a ...Read more

DEAR HARIETTE: My boyfriend and I have been dating for about two months now, and while things started off really strong, there's something that's been bothering me more and more: He refuses to show me where he lives. It feels intentional and calculated. Every time I've brought it up, he dodges the question or gives a vague excuse. The first time...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my best friends came to town. We've known each other since college and have seen each other through a lot of chapters. I don't feel like I'm in the best season of my life right now. I think I'm on my way to something great, but the detour has been filled with a lot of challenges, losses, hardships and so much more. My ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate works out at 5 a.m. every day, which means that his alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m., and it's been affecting my sleep in a major way. The noise alone is enough to jolt me out of my sleep, and by the time I finally manage to fall back to sleep, it's almost time for me to get up for work.

I've tried everything I can think ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a mother of twin daughters who are graduating from high school this year and preparing to head off to college. They both dreamed of going to the University of Notre Dame, and they worked hard throughout high school to make it happen. When the acceptance letters came in, only one of them made it. The other, unfortunately, did ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was out for a walk with my dog when out of nowhere, my neighbor's dog came charging toward us. He had slipped out of his collar and was clearly not under control. He lunged at me and my dog, growling and snapping. I had to shield my dog and myself, and for a moment, I genuinely thought we were going to get seriously hurt.

What...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently got married, and while most of the day went beautifully, there's one thing that's really been bothering me: One of my bridesmaids, whom I considered a close friend, didn't show up to the wedding. She never told me why. We had been in touch leading up to the big day, and as far as I knew, everything was fine. She had ...Read more

DEAR HARIETTE: I have been arguing with my husband for years. He regularly speaks to me like I am an idiot. He is rude and downright nasty. I have pleaded with him to stop treating me like this. I have asked him to go to therapy with me so we can figure out how to communicate better, but he refuses.

We had a huge blow-up the other day when I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm feeling frustrated and concerned after a recent experience involving my 8-year-old daughter. She has a severe peanut allergy, and last weekend, I allowed her to spend the night at her friend's house for the first time. I made sure to inform the other child's parents ahead of time about her allergy and even sent her EpiPen ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom is such a hard worker! She has an incredible story that includes learning English as her second language, going to college, struggling to find work, going back to college while pregnant to pursue a more promising path, graduating and providing for me and my siblings for as long as I can remember. She is now on her way to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Earlier this year, I met someone at a friend's birthday party. I thought he was handsome, and my friend ended up fixing us up. We live in different states, so we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. We talked often on the phone, and I felt comfortable with him.

He offered to visit me in person, staying in a hotel and taking me ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 4-year-old son absolutely hates going to day care. Every morning is a struggle. He cries the moment he realizes it's time to go and clings to me when I try to drop him off. It's not just a passing phase or a little separation anxiety; this has been going on for months, and nothing we do seems to help.

My husband and I have ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My dad's a heavy smoker and has been for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, he used to smoke inside the house constantly. I remember the smell being everywhere-- in my clothes, in the walls, even in my toys. I developed some health issues that I believe were tied to all that secondhand smoke exposure, and it's ...Read more

DEAR READERS: I just got a reality check from my girlfriend. She left me. In our last argument, she told me that I don't know how to love and that I push away everyone who tries to do right by me. I think I might've crossed a line this time. We've had fights before, but they usually end in us taking space or agreeing to disagree. This time I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently graduated and entered the workforce, and while I feel grateful to have landed a full-time position in marketing, I'm starting to feel a bit lost. The job itself is fine. I have a supportive team and decent pay, and I get to use some of the skills I learned in school; still, something feels off. I don't feel fulfilled. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I volunteer at my local humane society every weekend, and over the past several months, I've developed a real connection with one of the cats there. Her name is Marbles, and she's been at the shelter for more than a year now. She's had a rough past, and she can be a bit aggressive at times, especially around strangers or loud ...Read more