DEAR HARRIETTE: I fear that I may have raised an "iPad child." My daughter is 4 years old, and for over a year now, she's been glued to her iPad. It started out as a way to keep her entertained while I handled other tasks around the house. As a parent, sometimes I just need a moment of quiet, and the iPad seemed like an easy, harmless way to get that time. But now it’s gotten to the point where the iPad seems to be her constant companion. She’s on it when she wakes up, before bed and pretty much any moment in between unless I actively intervene. If I try to take it away or set limits on her screen time, she becomes upset and throws tantrums, which only adds to the guilt I already feel about letting things get this far. I’ve noticed that her attention span is shorter, and she’s less interested in playing with toys, reading books or doing other creative activities that used to engage her. It’s as if the iPad has become her main source of entertainment, and I’m worried about the long-term impact this will have on her development, social skills and even her relationship with me. Is it too late to turn things around? How can I wean her off of the iPad without making her feel like she’s being punished? -- iPad Child

DEAR IPAD CHILD: Intervene immediately. Start by setting rules for her iPad usage. Take the device away from her before she goes to sleep. Have a designated place where it and your cellphone live so she knows she’s not the only one having restrictions. Limit iPad usage to a certain time period each day, and take it away after that. She will protest for a while, but if you remain firm, she will eventually get over it.

Make sure any babysitters, friends and family who interact with her know the rules so that all honor them. Otherwise, it won’t work. Be sure to be fully present when you play with her, and come up with other ways to engage her when you need a moment of quiet.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I suggest that “Spending Habit,” the reader who was impulse buying, try this out; it worked wonders for me! If I see something I want to purchase that I know I do not need, I decide what I will get rid of in its place. That way I am careful about what I buy and, should I decide to purchase the item, by donating something in its place, I can help a local charity. -- Managing Spending

DEAR MANAGING SPENDING: What a great idea. Thank you. Another option is participating in a clothing swap. These events happen all the time and involve people bringing their gently used clothing and accessories to trade. That way, you can potentially go home with the same number of the items as the ones that drew your attention, or fewer. Be careful, though. These activities can be addictive. Your goal is to purge items, not collect more.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: As a new mom to my precious 3-month-old, I'm experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, from joy to an overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness. While I adore my baby and cherish these early moments, I can’t help but miss my old social life and the freedom I used to enjoy. It feels like my friends have drifted away, caught up in their own busy lives, leaving me feeling disconnected.

When I tried to share my feelings with my sister, who has been married for 10 years without children, she misinterpreted my struggle. She said all sorts of things, suggesting that I’m ungrateful for the blessing of my baby and I do not deserve her. It hurts deeply because I feel like my feelings are not valid. I have no one else to ask for advice on how to fix these feelings to make them right. Any guidance you can provide would be immensely helpful. -- New Mom Blues

DEAR NEW MOM BLUES: Your sister may have underlying feelings of jealousy because she has not had a child. She clearly doesn’t understand your position, and she lashed out based on her experience. You need to find like-minded people to talk to about your current situation. Consider a support group for new moms -- online or in-person -- where moms with similar challenges come together to share their wisdom and insights.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am writing to add to your advice to the mother of a child being cyberbullied, “Cyber Hazing.”

Based on my 20 years of experience teaching middle school, I strongly recommend that any parent in this situation report the incident to the school immediately. Even if the bullying started online, it will inevitably spill over into the school environment.

In my experience, cyberbullying disrupts learning, and most public schools enforce zero-tolerance policies for this reason, regardless of where the bullying began. Digital content is easily shared on campus, allowing the harassment to continue unchecked. Without adult intervention, not only does the bullying continue, but its severity also often escalates.

While no laws may have been broken yet, teens often don't realize when their actions cross into criminal behavior. Reporting it now can prevent future incidents and educate the bullies and their parents on the serious legal consequences. I’ve seen minors face life-altering repercussions, such as being added to the sex offender registry for inappropriate social media posts used to bully.

Although the bully’s well-being isn’t the main concern of a parent of a bullying victim, by reporting early, you can help stop the behavior before it becomes criminal -- and ideally help the bully to change their ways. Ignoring the situation reinforces the idea that they can act without consequences.

Please report this to the school immediately. Based on my years of teaching, I can almost guarantee your daughter is not the bully’s only victim. Be an advocate for her and others by bringing it to the school’s attention right away. -- Report It

DEAR REPORT IT: Thank you for your insights. We must protect our children in every way that we can.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I have been arguing a lot all year long, if I am honest. We have had a few screaming matches recently that ended up with me saying it was over unless we could get along better. Miraculously, my husband has been acting nicer -- nothing earth-shattering, but there have been fewer arguments and more pleasantness. Should I consider this to be enough to stay? Or at least to try to see if we can mend things? I am so tired of fighting and somewhat afraid to try again for fear of getting my feelings hurt for the thousandth time. He won’t go to therapy. -- Is It Enough?

DEAR IS IT ENOUGH?: Why don’t you pay attention to your interaction for the next few weeks? Choose to interact with him pleasantly, and encourage the behavior you want from him. Make the effort to meet him halfway. Suggest things to do that make you happy as well as activities he prefers. See what happens if you genuinely work to make things better. Assess the situation with him after a few weeks or months have passed. If you find yourselves falling into old negative patterns, stop and say something. Rather than retreating to separate corners, speak up and point out what has happened, and suggest that you both stop and regroup. Agree to work together on your relationship. If you can do that, you may be able to revive your joy.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I moved to Austin, Texas, for work three years ago, and since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to build a great group of friends. However, there’s one person in our group, let’s call her “Lily,” who’s been causing some tension. The issue is that she’s a pathological liar. She lies about almost everything, both big and small. For instance, she’ll claim she had a different meal than what she actually ate, exaggerate stories about her job and even change basic facts about where she’s from. Sometimes she’ll share vivid details about a particular experience or place, only to tell a completely different version of the same story a few days later. What’s troubling is that these aren’t just small white lies; she fabricates entire parts of her life. It’s gotten to the point where we never know what’s true when it comes to Lily’s stories.

Our friend group all cares about Lily, but the endless lies are starting to chip away at our trust in her. We don’t know whether to confront her or just let it be, but it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. What’s the best way to handle this situation? -- Lying Friend

DEAR LYING FRIEND: Why do you feel you need to remain friends with Lily? If you cannot take her seriously because she constantly lies, how can you build a meaningful relationship with her? Perhaps you can ask her those questions. Put it to her that if she is unwilling or unable to be honest with you, you have to limit your interaction with her. If she is part of a group, you may still see her, but keep your distance. Do your best not to get caught up in her drama.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)