Archives

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I don’t want to be mean, but there is a little boy in our neighborhood, probably 8 or 9, who is driving me crazy. He is always wandering around, teasing the dogs in their back... more

DEAR READERS: Most of us seem to go through the majority of November and December rushing around, overspending, overstressing, and overdoing. My own experience is that just when I’m ready to relax and... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Whenever my mom comes to visit my apartment, she makes jokes about my being Felix to my roommate’s Oscar. The problem is, I no longer find the joke funny. My roommate is a swe... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Every year my wife and I agree to not spend more than $100 on each other for Christmas, and instead put some money towards something we need for the house our maybe a better v... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband and I split up four years ago after a very short marriage. We were together in high school and since neither of us was planning on going to college, we decided to g... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I work at a temp-to-hire placement agency. Most of my clients are easy to work with, but there is one man who, no matter how much I bend over backwards to get him placed, he e... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: This is the first year without my father around, and he was always the driving force of all the family’s holiday celebrations. My mom died a few years ago, so he really kicked... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am with a woman who always insists on paying her part of any date we’re on. At first, I didn’t have a problem with it, but now that we’re getting deeper into the relationshi... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I share a small office with a guy I’ll call “Joe.” There is no doubt he is a hard worker. There is also no doubt he is an idea thief. Being in the same office as him I have mo... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Last year was my first married Christmas. My husband followed in his mother’s footsteps and went nuts with decorating our house inside and out. I thought it looked terrible an... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Every year my parents come to visit me, my aunt, and my grandmother, as we live close to each other.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My girlfriend has just been told she is being transferred to her company’s Chicago office from their LA headquarters. We’ve been dating for a while now, and have sometimes tal... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Every year around this time my husband and I start stressing over how we are going to spend the holidays. His parents live about two hours from mine. Depending on which route ... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am going to come off as a real b—ch, but I really don’t want my sister, who has been in and out of drug rehab for at least the last three years, around my kids. Even though ... more

DEAR READERS: I want to take advantage of this holiday dedicated to sharing thanks to express my gratitude to you all for reading and commenting.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I know it shouldn’t be a big deal, and I shouldn’t take it personally, but I have a friend who NEVER directly responds to texts or voicemails or snaps. I know she’s getting my... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My girlfriend and I are travelling to spend Thanksgiving with her very large family. I like them, and I think they like me, but if the same thing happens this year as happened... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Even before our daughter was born, my wife was an early bird. I’ve always been a night owl. For years this has been a challenge for us, especially on weekends, when she’s up a... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am nearly 29 years old, but I look 20, and people often treat me like a kid.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: There is an older woman who lives in the house across the street from my boyfriend. I know I’m not being paranoid, because my boyfriend and a lot of other people have commente... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: At the end of the summer I started dating a man eighteen years older than I am. He’s never been married, so there aren’t any exs or kids to deal with. Still, I get ragged on b... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My friend and neighbor from down the street started her own on-line mail order business a couple years ago. When it began taking-off, she first asked if I could help her out b... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My wife and I both have good jobs and we’ve saved up enough for a decent down payment on a house. We’ve been doing a lot of on-line shopping in our city, so we’ll have a good ... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mom just got engaged to a man she has been dating for about a year. Although he hasn’t done anything I know of to hurt my mother, I just get a mean vibe from the guy. She h... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE'S MOM: When my friend and I decided to rent a two-bedroom apartment together we both had steady girlfriends. When things went south with his relationship he started "exploring his op... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When I was a kid, my mom and dad always made sure Halloween was a big, fun deal for our family. My husband comes from a family with religious beliefs that Halloween is a bad t... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I have only worked at my new job for 8 months, and company policy is you have to be on the job for 12 months before you get any paid time off.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: A good buddy of mine has some real hygiene issues. I’m never sure if it’s him or his clothes that stink, but there are times it’s no fun hanging out with him. Would I be overs... more