DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: The guy I’m seeing has only been divorced less than a year. It was one of those high school sweetheart things that didn’t make it very long after they were married.

I haven’t dated a whole lot of guys, but I never had one keep pictures of old loves out on display around his home before. Is this normal? It makes me wonder if he is really ready to move on. --- HAS HE MOVED ON?

DEAR HAS HE MOVED ON?: Since he was married to someone he was with for a long time, it’s not unreasonable to expect that it’s going to take a while for him to emotionally segue out of the failed relationship and into a new one. It’s also good to bear in mind that much of what he’s done for the past several years was done with his ex by his side.

If you’ve only been going together for a short while, it might be worth waiting a bit to see if his ex’s pictures start to disappear, particularly if things seem to be progressing between him and you. If it feels like you two are becoming a solid couple, I’d hope the old photos would start to be replaced by ones featuring the two of you.

If you don’t see that happening within what you feel is a reasonable timeframe, then the man you’re dating may not, as you speculate, be ready to move on, and you might want to start considering your options.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My oldest nephew has significant emotional issues. He has slapped, punched, and bitten both his parents and his younger siblings, even when they were babies. For the last few years, my husband and I volunteered to take him for a week at the end of the summer to give his parents a break. Over the years, we’ve learned how to manage much of his difficult behavior, which was easier for us since there were no other children around.

That changed last year when we had our first baby. I know my sister-in-law and my brother are expecting us to continue taking their son for a few days in late August, but I am seriously not comfortable having him around our baby, who will be just one when my nephew would be arriving.

I know how much this week off means to my brother’s family, but I cannot justify potentially putting my own child at risk for injury.

How do I let them know we can’t help them out this time around? --- WORRIED FOR MY BABY

DEAR WORRIED FOR MY BABY: Callous as it may sound, your first responsibility is to your own family. If you don’t feel you can guarantee your baby’s safety around your nephew, then you need to be honest with your brother and his wife, and the sooner the better, so they have the opportunity to perhaps explore alternate respite arrangements for this summer.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My daughter was supposed to get married last September. Rather than have a pared down event, she and her fiancé decided to reschedule the wedding to later this year. They were able to retain their venue and all their providers but one, who sadly, didn’t survive the downturn in business.

Since she was a teen, our daughter has battled weight issues, largely complicated by necessary medications she will probably be on for the rest of her life. The pandemic hasn’t helped, and she has gained enough weight to keep her from fitting in her wedding gown, which was custom-made by the bridal shop that is now shuttered, being the one casualty so far. At least she already had the gown at home when they closed their doors.

My daughter, who has always been very conscious about her weight, has been making herself sick over the gown. She was originally two sizes smaller when the gown was ordered and made. I keep telling her not to get too upset, since a good tailor should be able to fix the situation, but so far it has not helped. And then, when I reminded her she still has time to work on her weight, that really set her off, and she has barely spoken to me since.

What else can I do to not make things worse, but instead, convince her she has options? --- MOTHER OF THE DELAYED BRIDE

DEAR MOTHER OF THE DELAYED BRIDE: I agree with you that your daughter needs to be mindful of having time to find solutions to the gown situation. I’m also with you in your confidence that skilled tailors are magicians, and finding one in your area, who would take time to explain possible options is the way to go.

If you don’t know which tailor to contact, you may be able to get recommendations from the other service providers, or through wedding websites such as The Knot. I’m sure your daughter isn’t the only bride facing this type of complication, and getting a little guidance from impartial (aka, not Mom) resources may allay some of her anxiety.