DEAR HARRIETTE: My kid twisted his ankle at school today, and the teacher didn’t do anything about it. My son told me that he was in pain and was struggling to walk, but instead of sending him to the nurse or calling me, the teacher told him to “walk it off.” By the time he got home, his ankle was swollen, and I had to take him to the doctor. Thankfully, it wasn’t broken, but the doctor said he should have iced it and stayed off of it much sooner to prevent further injury.

I’m furious that the school didn’t take his injury seriously, but I don’t want to overreact. At the same time, I worry about what could happen if another child gets hurt and is ignored in the same way. I want to bring this up with the teacher and the school, but I’m not sure how to approach the conversation in a way that will lead to change. How should I handle this to make sure my concerns are heard and that something like this doesn’t happen again? -- Negligent Teacher

DEAR NEGLIGENT TEACHER: Request a meeting with the teacher immediately. It is not OK that your child wasn’t taken seriously. The teacher should have trusted that he was telling the truth and sent him to the nurse to be evaluated. The teacher needs to know what the doctor had to say and be warned that this shouldn’t happen again. Depending on the teacher’s reaction, you may also want to tell the principal.

DEAR HARRIETTE: After more than a year of unemployment, I finally got a new job. It pays less than my previous role, and it is almost entry level. I’m really not happy at my new company, but I have bills to pay, so I deal with it. I feel like I’ve let myself down, though. I’ve never been much of a saver, and after being unemployed for a while I’m just getting back on my feet. With the pay cut, I’m now living paycheck to paycheck. How do I get myself out of this nightmare? At least if I’m going to hate my job, I want it to pay well. -- Check to Check

DEAR CHECK TO CHECK: I believe that whatever you do, you should do it like you are making a million dollars -- even if you are volunteering. That attitude welcomes abundance. Be grateful that you have a job. Look around for opportunities where you are working to highlight your skills, thereby creating the possibility for you to do more than this entry-level job requires. Make yourself invaluable. Think of ways to make things more efficient where you are working, and present those ideas to your supervisor. This could lead to a promotion or may help you to become poised for a better position somewhere else.

Do your best to show up with a positive attitude every day. Don’t think of this job as beneath you. It is a step along the way. Be sure to keep your eyes open for what’s next.

(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 7-year-old daughter's hamster died last night, and my husband wanted to go buy a new one that looked exactly like her old one so she wouldn’t notice that he had died. I said that this is a ridiculous idea; our daughter needs to learn how to deal with situations in life that make her sad. We ended up arguing about it because he thinks she’s too young to handle grief, while I believe shielding her from it will make things harder in the long run.

I want to help my daughter process the loss in a healthy way by talking about it and allowing her to grieve, but my husband insists that sparing her the sadness is the kinder approach. I know this is just a small pet, but I feel like how we handle this moment could shape how she learns to cope with loss in the future. How do we navigate this as parents? Should we have replaced the hamster, or should we guide her through this difficult moment? -- Dealing With Death

DEAR DEALING WITH DEATH: So many people are so far removed from the cycle of life and death as part of our existence that parents often encounter situations like this. I see both of your points on this, but I agree with you: Children do need to learn about these blunt facts of life. Yes, your child will be sad to learn that the pet died, but then you can talk about life and death and how long animals usually live. You can discuss feelings and loss in simple ways that your child will understand.

The bigger issue here, though, is getting on the same page as your husband. Keep talking to him until you can reach a consensus.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I broke up with my girlfriend six months ago because we would get into small arguments about every little thing. It caused a lot of tension, and eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I thought I had moved on from her, but recently, I saw her holding hands with another man, and I lost it. I couldn’t tell if I was angry that she had moved on from me or if I wasn’t over her. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. Part of me wonders if I made a mistake by ending things, but another part of me remembers how exhausting our constant arguments were. I don’t know if I’m feeling jealous, if my ego is bruised or if this means I still have real feelings for her. Should I try to reach out to her, or is this just my heart playing tricks on me? How do I know if I truly miss her or just the idea of being with her? -- Spotted My Ex

DEAR SPOTTED MY EX: Chalk it up to an ego bruise, and keep moving. Your ex seems to be happy with someone else. Let her be. Focus on the future.

(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: I’m at a crossroads with my girlfriend. In our house, we share many of our bills. I take care of things like rent and the car payment for our shared vehicle, and she is supposed to take care of utilities. She has had a history of being a bit reckless with her spending, and I thought that with some of the bills in her name, it might help her to be more responsible -- but I don’t see a difference. I actually feel like she thinks of me as a crutch. For example, I found out she doesn’t always pay our bills on time, and when she doesn’t, she will often ask me to help cover the late fees. I’ve encouraged auto pay, but she doesn’t listen.

My girlfriend also gets an obscene number of parking tickets on the car, which I have been left to pay for, and it’s getting to be too much for me. I asked her to stop driving the car for a bit until I finish paying off the tickets because I don’t want to get a boot put on the car. She complied, but for a few days only. By the end of the weekend, she went out with the car, and the next morning while I was out walking our dog, I discovered that the back of our car was totally smashed. Later in the day, I asked her about it, and she said she meant to tell me about it, but she forgot. The love is there, but I don’t know if I’m cut out for this. Is it time to move on? -- Irresponsible Girlfriend

DEAR IRRESPONSIBLE GIRLFRIEND: You two need to talk about reality and the future. Discuss what you want in a relationship and what is happening. Tell her you want to build a life with her, but you cannot be with someone who is so irresponsible. She needs to get her act together and stop making messes for you to clean up. See if she will make a consistent effort. If not, cut your losses.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am in my early 40s, and I’m fortunate that I have not had to grieve many deaths during my adult life. Several months ago, a lifelong friend passed away suddenly, and it was devastating. A few friends sent me flowers or care packages in condolence. While I was touched by their thoughtful gestures, I could not bear to have these things in my home, as they were constant reminders that my friend is gone.

I took the flowers to a senior center and the care packages to the food bank. I thanked everyone graciously for their gifts, commented that they were lovely and didn’t mention that I had passed them along. When I told my father what I had done, he told me it was petty of me to get rid of those gifts. Anytime I looked at the items, I would start sobbing. Months later, I still feel like it was the right choice for me.

I know that there will be more loss as life goes on, so I wonder: Can I continue to pass along condolence gifts, or should I somehow make it known that condolence gifts are not for me? I am trying to be sensitive to the loving people around me, but I know that such gifts will break me down rather than lift me up. -- Thanks, But No Thanks

DEAR THANKS, BUT NO THANKS: You do not need to tell your friends to stop showing their love. No need to make them feel bad. The way you handled it was perfect. If your father disapproves, there's no need to tell him, either.

(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.)