DEAR ABBY: For the first time in eight years, my husband and I will be staying in a hotel when we visit his parents for Christmas. While I love his family, their home is small, and we are relegated to a trundle bed and must share the sole bathroom with the entire family. It’s impossible […]

Daughter is crushed by loss of her birth mom’s letters DEAR ABBY: I am nearly 50, and learned when I was in my early 30s that I was adopted. I became engaged to a man my adoptive mother did not like. When I told her the news, her response was, “Do what you want — […]

Fiance’s kids rule the roost during visits DEAR ABBY: I have been living with my fiance, “Trevor,” for three years. When his children — ages 7 and 8 — are here for their visits, he treats me like a third wheel. Trevor shows me absolutely no affection, nor will he have as much as a […]

Girl is encouraged to be smart, not becoming a show-off DEAR ABBY: Your advice to “Smart Seventh-Grader” (Sept. 26) was supportive, but did not address the heart of her problem. Many years ago I was that little girl. No one had explained to me there is a difference between knowing the answer to the teacher’s […]

Wife is bewildered by man’s pursuit of her history DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Bud,” and I have been married more than 50 years. It has been a great half-century. We have good jobs and a fantastic family. A problem has arisen recently that I need advice about. When I met Bud, I wasn’t a virgin. […]

Husband builds verbal walls between wife, friends DEAR ABBY: I have a good friend whose husband is isolating her from family and friends. He’s a counselor, and he uses his training as a psychologist to convince her that none of her friends are to be trusted. He twists anything we do or say to keep […]

Opinion splits along gender lines over bathroom decency DEAR ABBY: I’m writing about the letter you printed from “Right or Wrong in Wisconsin” (Nov. 9). My co-workers and I had a field day with the issue of the father shaving while his 12-year-old daughter takes her morning shower. The women here were pretty much unanimous […]

DEAR ABBY: I am 25 and dated a woman I’ll call “Brenda” for about five years. She dumped me soon after college graduation with no explanation. All she said was she “needed to be alone for a while,” but she could see herself marrying me and having kids with me “eventually.” I accepted it and […]

DEAR ABBY: I will be 50 next year. My daughter is determined to throw me a party, but I’m not interested in acknowledging my age. In fact, thinking about it throws me into a panic. I realize this is my problem, but how can I make her understand that this is something I truly do […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to “Mick” for 22 years — most of them happy. My problem is his communication skills. I have always had a hard time contacting him. He has a cell phone, but won’t take it out of his vehicle. Recently, our daughter came home from college. We had planned to […]