My wife and I recently adopted a puppy who is now 10 weeks old. She is teething on everything—especially my hands and arms, which are obviously far more fascinating than than all the teething toys, chew sticks, fluffy squeak toys and assorted other puppy gadgets and playthings. Since her teeth are very sharp, I have […]
Dear Neil: I am a 55 year old adopted male. I have 3 failed marriages. I have always felt so alone, I’m not close to anyone—and I don’t have a strong sense of family. This affects all of my relationships. Even in younger years, I don’t remember having best friends. When I vocalize my feelings, […]
Dear Neil: I love my children. My ex took them away from me. It’s a long terrible story, and I’ve been living in hell ever since. My children are grown now, but will have nothing to do with me. I have no idea of how to get them to want a relationship with me. Not […]
Dear Neil: My daughter does’t want contact with me. She will not call, and she won’t respond to my attempts at communicating. Is there any way of redeeming this relationship? Rejected By My Grown Child Dear Rejected: Here are some suggestions about what to do: When communication is possible, make the first move; don’t expect […]
Dear Neil: My husband’s twin brother is both rude and thoughtless. He informed good friends at Thanksgiving that we couldn’t make it to dinner, so we felt snubbed when we weren’t invited. But we weren’t informed, and we were available. When we moved into our house, he asked the price we paid. When we told […]
Dear Neil: I cut my alcoholic sister off because of her drinking and abusive behavior. She had been arrested several times, and it’s painful to keep watching someone make the same mistakes over and over again. Recently, she texted me and said that she went to a treatment program for a month. Her boyfriend never […]
How do you raise a boy to be a good man? Here are my suggestions about how especially dads can teach their boys about how to become fine men. A mother may teach and model the same things, but boys are more likely to model their dads. Treat everyone with respect. Be a gentleman and […]
Dear Neil: I’m completely lost about a 10 year relationship. We started dating when I was 28 (at the time he was 37 and working as a surgeon). A month later, he wanted me to move in with him. But one day, when I surprised him with a visit, I learned he had another woman […]
Dear Neil: My sister has been unemployed for many years, even through she has a masters degree. Any job suggested to her, or opportunities for an interview, she has not followed up on. Her current reason for not working is that she doesn’t want to have to pay taxes. Friends and family have allowed her […]
Dear Neil: Since my divorce, my parents have had nothing to do with me. They were distant with us before the divorce, never attempting to make contact or visiting, and being curt when I rang them. I have chosen to be friends with my ex-mother-in-law (who they despise), and in a nutshell my parents and […]