Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I am currently separated and have met someone who I fell for really quickly. I don’t know how to figure out whether I was just so lonely and this is just a rebound, or whether it’s for real. We’re going slowly, and we’re both being very …
Dear Carolyn: My husband and I have been part of a family text thread where we communicate with my siblings and their spouses about what’s going on in our lives. Recently, we’ve been in touch regarding one sibling’s health crisis, all of us offering supportive comments. Concurrently, my husband and I made a decision to …
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: About five years ago, I graduated from college and broke up with my girlfriend, “Penny.” There was nothing wrong between us, in fact things were really good, but we’d been dating since high school and I felt restless and needed to be on my own for …
Dear Carolyn: I bought a house about a year ago and my daughter and her three kids moved in with me. I am single and live downstairs in the in-law suite with a roommate who is my friend. The children are 13, 10 and 2. My daughter is 30. And to say they are lazy …
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My son’s best friend since middle school has been living in my guest room for a couple of months now, since his 18th birthday. His home situation has been very unstable for the past few years since his parents split up, and he bounced around their houses …
Dear Carolyn: I’m tearing my hair out over a friend whose life is demonstrably easier than mine but who never stops complaining: She doesn’t have enough money (her household income is 50 percent larger than mine). She doesn’t have enough time (her job comes with six weeks of paid vacation; mine has three). Etc. I’ve …
Dear Carolyn: I graduated from my high school with a close-knit group of good friends who were all going to different colleges. We tried to be realistic about being separated and busy in the coming year, but we were going to stay friends despite the distance and different schedules. During my freshman year, I only …
Dear Carolyn: My younger brother (we are both adults) calls me by an old name, one I was given at birth, and have loathed since age 3, and have not willingly used since I was 10. The name I use — on my passport, paychecks, everything — is a shortened version of the given one. …
Dear Carolyn: My 15-year-old son and his stepmom, my wife of eight years, have developed such a contentious relationship that I don’t know what to do anymore. He’s not a bad kid but has a history of lying about grades, schoolwork and some really silly things like cleaning his room. I’ve been disciplining him for …
Adapted from a recent online discussion Dear Carolyn: I set up time to hang out with my 14-year-old niece, who is very sweet and also has been getting in trouble — skipping school, lying to family, etc. She reminds me so much of myself at her age. I figure I can relate to her in …
