Q: My 9-year-old has started calling my husband “Dad.” Her father is furious and corrects her every time she does it. He says she already has a dad and allowing this is disrespectful. I understand why it hurts his feelings, but she's very close to her stepfather. This was her choice. What do I tell her?

A: There’s a fine line we walk ...Read more

Q: My ex shows up for everything that involves our daughter, even when it happens during my parenting time. Soccer practices, school events, sometimes even routine appointments. When I say something, she tells me, “I'm her mother. I have every right to be there.” I want us both involved, but sometimes I'd like to just be Dad without my ex ...Read more

Q: My ex's girlfriend has started texting me about our kids. Pickup times, homework, schedule changes, you name it. She's pleasant, and I don't dislike her, but I'm beginning to wonder why I'm co-parenting with her instead of my ex. Where do you draw the line? What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. Before you send, “I had children with HIM, not YOU,�...Read more

Q: My child repeats everything her mother tells her. The problem is that her mother is very angry. I had an affair and eventually told my wife and left. I am a demon in my ex's eyes, and she's trying to convince our daughter to hate me. I understand why my ex is so angry, but making our child hate me isn't going to do anyone any good. What's ...Read more

Q: I told my ex's new wife that I was saving up to take my daughter to a concert that I knew she wanted to go to. The tickets were very expensive, but I had been saving for six months because I wanted to surprise her. Yesterday was my daughter's birthday. She came home from her dad's house with a ticket to the concert. Evidently, her dad and his...Read more

Q: My co-parent and I just had a custody evaluation done. He has a very complicated mental health diagnosis that includes autism and narcissistic personality disorder. I knew he was difficult to communicate with, but now I see why. How do I co-parent with someone with this serious diagnosis?

A: Learning that your co-parent has a mental health ...Read more

Q: My girlfriend travels for work, or so she told me, but I just found out she has a whole other family, including a child! I'm thinking about calling the other woman and telling her. What's good ex-etiquette?

A: Before you pick up the phone, ask yourself one question: Why am I doing this?

Are you trying to protect someone from being deceived?...Read more

Q: I'm in trouble. My ex is very angry that I did not pass on a confidence that our child told me, but she asked me not to tell her dad. I want her to trust me, so I kept it a secret, but when her father found out, he hit the roof. Now he's angry and she thinks I breached her confidence. What's good ex-etiquette?

A: That's a great question ...Read more

Q. My child’s mother recently moved in with her boyfriend, who has full custody of his three boys. Last time I picked up our son from his mother’s, I noticed suspicious bruises on his thighs and back. This is new. I don’t know if this is the result of discipline, which I absolutely do not agree with, or rough play, which is also ...Read more

Q. My ex is a terrible co-parent. When we divorced, I remarried soon afterward, but I have stayed open to co-parenting with their mother. We had to move an hour away and so my time with the kids had to change. I now have most weekends, but my relationship with the kids has changed. They are very attached to their mother and she will not do ...Read more

Q. How do I get along with my ex without fighting? We can barely stand each other and I can tell our kids are being affected. She thinks they are “just fine.” I think they are struggling. I tell her what the kids say and how they have trouble sleeping and she says, “I don’t see it here. It must be something YOU’RE doing.” I’m at a ...Read more

Q. My son’s father and I separated eight months ago and it’s taken a while for us to get adjusted. One thing I have noticed is that my son is very unorganized around the house, and his teacher recently told me he is very unorganized at school. I have trouble getting him to settle down and do his homework. He’s also very forgetful and doesn...Read more