Dear Eric: The friend is a lovely person. I have no issue with her. It’s just that sometimes we want it to be only family. How do I broach this?
Asking Eric: I miss seeing my cousin without her friend
Category: Asking Eric
Asking Eric: I’m sick of splitting the check
Dear Eric: Recently, we embraced sobriety and no longer consume the expensive drinks that significantly add to the bill. Despite this, we continue to split the check evenly, which doesn’t seem quite fair.
Asking Eric: What is ‘cocktail attire’ these days?
Dear Eric: The dress was “Festive Cocktail Attire,” which was communicated via a save-the-date notice sent on paper via the U.S. postal service and email. The notice was sent nine months before the wedding.
Asking Eric: Grandmother not permitted at hospital for birth
Dear Eric: My only son is expecting his first child in early July. I have been recently told by my son that his wife does not want anyone at the hospital, except for my son.
Asking Eric: Grandmother critiqued over folding laundry
Dear Eric: I am a youngish widow with an empty nest. Last year I moved to be near my daughter to help her with her young twins. My daughter and her husband have jobs that require them to leave home at about 6 a.m. I arrive at their home at six, and they leave. The kids are still sleeping.
Asking Eric: Grandkids are being kept away from dentist
Dear Eric: My grandchildren, ages 10 and 14, have not been to a dentist since long before Covid. I have brought up the subject with their mother and she agrees they need to see a dentist, but it has not happened. Their mother and father have excellent teeth and the children have inherited this, but I do worry about them. I have an excellent relationship with my daughter and try not to interfere in her parenting. I have offered to take them to the dentist myself, but she has declined. The younger one comes to my house before school every […]
Asking Eric: Wife finds intimacy with an old friend
Dear Eric: My husband of 24 years has no interest in me.
Asking Eric: Parents won’t stop prying into finances
Dear Eric: I’m 26 and have been living on my own in an apartment for two years. I ran into some financial difficulties and had to get some money from my grandpa and parents. I’ve gotten to the point where I can pay for all my bills and groceries if I budget, but my parents […]
Asking Eric: Grandmothers in competition over newborn
Dear Eric: My daughter’s mother-in-law (“Nancy”) is very involved in the couple’s life and has a very strong personality. My son-in-law and Nancy are extremely close and our daughter has spent a tremendous amount of time with Nancy as a result, much more time than she has spent with us.
Asking Eric: No one wants to hear traveler’s stories
Dear Traveler: While this isn’t your intention, I fear your input may strike some as bragging. Travel isn’t equally accessible to everyone.