DEAR ABBY: My dad's girlfriend, "Coral," moved in with us last month. Ever since she moved in, things have changed. Coral is a vegetarian. She says sugar is poison, and milk and eggs are bad. The week she moved in, she went through our fridge and pantry and threw out everything that wasn't "organic." She says there won't be any bad foods in the house from now on.
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Coral does all the shopping now. All she buys is gross stuff like beans and soy. She says no meat is allowed. I can't stand it! I can't have anything I like anymore. I saved my allowance and bought ice cream. Coral found it and yelled at me and said no TV for a week.
Dad doesn't like it either, but he says it's unfair to disrespect Coral's wishes and beliefs. He says, "Don't worry. We'll go out and eat sometimes, and you can have what you want." Please tell me what to do. -- STARVING IN ALTOONA, PA.
DEAR STARVING: Respect is a two-way street. Coral may have your best interests at heart, but if she's trying to win friends and influence people, she has gotten off to an unfortunate start. How much better it would have been had she gradually started encouraging you to change your eating habits instead of ramming her biases down your throat.
You should not be hungry all the time, and your father should not allow his girlfriend to punish you for acting like a normal child. Please clip this item, show it to your dad and tell him you wrote it. Coral is entitled to her beliefs, but she should not impose them on you the way she has.