DEAR ABBY: Whenever my husband, kids and I go away, my mother-in-law insists on staying at our house. She then rearranges the rooms in my house, moving things to where she thinks they should be. She also manages to leave behind her toiletries in the bathroom. More than once she has thrown a party for […]
Dear Abby
Woman’s estrangement from father creates second rift
DEAR ABBY: After my mother died several years ago, my father’s sometimes violent behavior flared up. A few years ago, I decided to stop spending time with him. My sister, who has received — and may continue to receive — significant financial support from Dad, is scolding me for it. I have asked her to […]
Mother sees trouble in son’s current living arrangement
DEAR ABBY: My 44-year-old son is a long-haul driver. His girlfriend has 14-year-old and 17-year-old daughters, who are both high-functioning autistic. My son thinks they should have chores because they need to learn to live independently. This is the biggest argument they have. He says that they should be on the internet for only four […]
Stranger’s abrupt revelation rocks woman’s world
DEAR ABBY: I had pretty much an ideal childhood. My parents have never had issues that I ever saw. We went to church every Sunday, gathered with family often, etc. I’m now grown, and my parents are in their mid-80s. Out of the blue, I got a message on social media from a woman who […]
Wife holds veto power in couple’s major decisions
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for 37 years. We have a fairly good marriage. However, when it comes to communication, there’s a lot of room for improvement. I would very much like to get a second dog. I’m home alone all day because I am on disability; I have few friends, […]
Revealing of newborn’s name triggers emotional reaction
DEAR ABBY: I recently gave birth to our second child, a girl. Shortly afterward, my husband called his mother. She lives in a different state hours away and visits only once a year. When he told her the happy news and our little girl’s name, which we had kept a secret, she became very upset. […]
Grandparents make little effort to see grandkids
DEAR ABBY: I’m 33 with a wonderful husband and amazing kids, ages 4 and 6. I have a close bond with my parents. We live in a city about 80 miles from them. It seems like we are always the ones to do the visiting, and I have to practically beg them to visit me […]
Dad must endure entitled teen’s frequent tantrums
DEAR ABBY: I’m writing on behalf of my partner of more than 10 years. He has three daughters ages 23, 20 and 16. While he’s close to two of them, his youngest distances herself when she doesn’t get what she wants or disagrees with his point of view on something. Eight months ago, she stopped […]
Older sister can’t keep politics out of friendly visits
DEAR ABBY: My older sister visits me every week to play cards and chat. While I love her dearly and enjoy her visits, sometimes I do not appreciate one topic she brings up. We are on different ends of the political spectrum. Although I never initiate a conversation about the candidate she voted for in […]
One-night stand leads to awkward social situation
DEAR ABBY: During a trip to Las Vegas, I kind of had a one-night stand. I’m in a relationship. I felt bad afterward. Problem is, I started having feelings for this guy, “Leo.” We would message back and forth, more on my end than his. I guess you could say I was hung up on […]