Life Advice
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Family Makes Insinuations About Child's Dna
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have ginger hair and hazel-brown eyes, while my wife is a brunette with brown eyes. Despite our genetics, our 2-year-old child is dark-haired with blue eyes with a speck of green. My mother and sister cannot stop insinuating that my wife may have cheated on me. I consistently reject this idea and have become increasingly ...Read more
College Dorm Odd Couple
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a college student, and my roommate and I have majorly conflicting sleeping habits.
I have declared music as my major and have seven classes that I need to keep on top of, in addition to several rehearsals a week. My days begin at 9 a.m. and sometimes don't end until 9 p.m. I am up and about all day long, whether it is to...Read more
Is It Depression or Something Else?
Dear Annie: I am a 48-year-old male living at home with my folks and older sister. We are a close-knit family and do things together often. I couldn't be happier to have them in my life.
Lately, I've been feeling a little bit down and stuck in the mud if you can call it that. I have no reason to feel like that. I am my oldest nephew's home ...Read more
Ask Amy: Elderly relatives lurk and report intel
Dear Amy: A little over a year ago, working with my mother’s doctor, I decided it was in her best interests (she has dementia) to move into assisted living.
With help from my spouse, I was able to maintain her unoccupied house for about a year.
We have other elderly relatives in the neighborhood who kept us posted if anything required ...Read more
Showdown Looms In Marriage Over Allergies And A Friend
DEAR ABBY: I am allergic to a wide range of scents -- perfume, cologne, laundry detergent, etc. When I am caught in someone's cloud, my sinuses and lungs burn, which causes instant wheezing and coughing.
My husband's friend bathes himself in a scent akin to household cleansing powder. It's so strong, both of us can smell it in our house for ...Read more
Single File: Serenade to Shyness
So many men suffer from shyness. It fills their letters as they describe stirrings that must lie dormant, unexpressed and waiting for inspiration. The fear of being laughed at, taken for a fool -- or, worse, being ignored and unseen -- is keeping them parched and mute.
A love song of appreciation might go far to soothe their frustration, and ...Read more
Erika Ettin: 8 places to meet people IRL that aren't dating apps or bars
When there’s a new couple around, it’s natural to ask, “So, how did you meet?” Most of the time, it’s one of these answers: through friends, at work, or on a dating app. Gone are the days when connecting through Tinder or Bumble came with an elaborate lie about a meet-cute that stemmed from sitting together on a plane … it’s so ...Read more
Hi, Karen. I mean, Emily. Mixing up names more common than you think
As a parent, you’ve likely experienced the frustration and embarrassment of calling your child by their sibling’s or your pet’s name. You’re not alone, and you’re not losing your mind. In fact, a recent TikTok video has brought a 2016 Duke University study back into the spotlight, revealing this phenomenon is extremely common.
The ...Read more
Company Offers Job To Wrong Candidate
DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm being offered a job I'm not qualified for. Should I accept it?
During a recent job application event, there was a process that tested each person's comprehension and attention to detail. The person who used the computer before me did not close his tab, revealing his almost perfect result. I didn't think much of it at the ...Read more
Woman Dares Wear Skirt On Golf Course
DEAR MISS MANNERS: We live in a 55+ community on a golf course. One woman, who is very heavy, always wears a knee-high or above-the-knee skirt when golfing. She is actually the only woman here who does.
When it comes time for her to pick up or put down her ball, all the men look away and the other women say nothing. It's hard to watch. I myself...Read more
Loss, Recovery and Tough Family Choices
Dear Annie: I am also a parent of a child who lost his battle with addiction in 2022. There are so many of us with difficult stories to share.
My son found alcohol and drugs at 15 and battled those demons until his death at the age of 30. I have come to know that there are some types of brains that truly do not know how to turn off that ...Read more
Ask Amy: Distant sibling longs to connect
Dear Amy: After our teen years, my brother and I became close.
After my mother abruptly left town to be with another man, my brother and I were left to clean up the mess, literally and figuratively.
We worked well together. A year or two later he and his family moved far away. I did my best to keep in touch, but with schedule differences it ...Read more
Husband Tells His Wife To Find A Side Piece For Sex
DEAR ABBY: I have been married for the last 25 years to a wonderful man, "Frank." We are very happy in all areas except for intimacy. Frank has lost all interest in intimacy and sex. It began about two years ago, and I have tried everything to reignite the flame in our relationship. Frank's sex drive has disappeared!
About a year ago, he told ...Read more
Father Asks Newly Employed Child For Money
DEAR HARRIETTE: I find myself in a difficult situation with my father. I recently graduated from college and secured a job, but my father keeps asking me for money. The challenging part is that he didn't contribute financially to my college education, and he hasn't supported me financially since before I turned 18. While I understand that he may...Read more
Don't Complicate Things: Just Say 'hi'
DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper greeting of a childless woman or man on Mother's Day or Father's Day?
GENTLE READER: "Hello."
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a woman member of a mostly male international wine society, and I enjoy tweaking the men's noses. I can't and won't deny it.
I'd very much like to buy some 18-button gloves, with the ...Read more
The Impact of Good-Mannered Children
Dear Annie: You recently said you rarely get letters praising mothers-in-law. Well, here is one!
I grew up in an abusive family with a mother who has severe borderline personality disorder and refuses to get medication or therapy. When I met my mother-in-law, I was naturally very distrustful of her. Mothers were not safe to me, and mothers-in...Read more
Ask Amy: A 50-year lie needs to be corrected
Dear Amy: For the past 50 years, I have lied that I was in the military and served in Vietnam.
I'm now 71. I want to come clean with my son/family.
I ran away from a bad home life at 13 and lived on the streets. It was horrible. I was beaten up and sexually attacked. I tried to commit suicide twice.
My self-esteem was so low for many years. ...Read more
Relative's Gifts Choices Are Unwanted And Annoying
DEAR ABBY: I'm a 77-year-old woman with a 27-year-old granddaughter who loves electronic gadgets and toys. She's comfortable financially and often buys expensive gifts for me. While I appreciate her generosity and her desire to make my life "easier and more fun," I simply am NOT INTERESTED in them.
I find these devices more frustrating than ...Read more
Yikes! You're stuck in a situationship. When to stick around or get out
LOS ANGELES — Meagan Culberson, 32, was on a third date with a guy she met on Hinge when she decided it was time to ask him a make-or-break question: What are you looking for?
They'd gone on fun dates and she was interested in getting to know him better, but only if they were on the same page. She wanted a long-term relationship.
When she ...Read more
Friends Struggle To Reconcile After Falling Out
DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a huge falling out with one of my best friends. We hadn't spoken for about three months until the other day, when we got together to talk. We shed a lot of tears and spoke our minds about what happened between us, but we didn't find resolution. I walked away feeling like I was being blamed for something that I don't think ...Read more
Inside Life Advice
Popular Stories
- Erika Ettin: 8 places to meet people IRL that aren't dating apps or bars
- She told TikTok she was lonely in LA. What happened next changed her life
- Hi, Karen. I mean, Emily. Mixing up names more common than you think
- Yikes! You're stuck in a situationship. When to stick around or get out
- Ask Anna: Navigating friend flakiness: Is she just not into me?