Recent content from Carolyn Hax
Hax: New guy balks at exclusivity clause
Dear Carolyn: I have been seeing a guy who seems perfect for me. Maybe. He’s a bit different from men I’ve dated in the past,…
Hax: In-laws' quarreling disrupts vacations
Dear Carolyn: We just returned from a week at the lake with our two grown kids, their significant others, and other family members from both…
Carolyn Hax: Mom should protect child from bullying grandma
Carolyn Hax is away. In her absence, we are running columns from her archive. Dear Carolyn: How can I help my daughter,…
Hax: Nieces, nephews present a gift quandary
Dear Carolyn: My sister has four school-age children, and my nieces and nephews have, quite frankly, had to do without.My oldest niece (who is on…
Hax: Give sister-in-law the benefit of doubt
Dear Carolyn: Last summer, my sister-in-law cheated on my brother. It was a months-long affair that continued even after my brother found out about it,…
Hax: Family's culture complicates upcoming wedding
Dear Carolyn: Long story short, my Indian parents (and by extension my sibs) do not like my significant other because he is a white, non-college-educated…
Hax: Try to see "loans" as safety net for sibs
Dear Carolyn: My 88-year-old father recently informed me that he's decided to change his will. I have four sisters and brothers, and three have taken…
Hax: Son's plan to join Marines a concern
Dear Carolyn: My 20-year-old son wants to enlist in the Marines. He is a very smart kid who was accepted to several good colleges and…
Hax: Weight gain is only part of the problem
Dear Carolyn: My girlfriend of two years could stand to lose about 20 pounds, which would result in increased energy (she spends a lot of…
Hax: Bromance gets in the way of romance
Dear Carolyn: I'm a forty-something woman living with a thirty-something man. I wanted to be engaged first, but he wasn't ready and insisted this was…
Hax: Brother's children deserve truth to be told
Dear Carolyn: My brother and sister-in-law are going through an ugly divorce — with her alleging emotional abuse, him trying to get shared custody of…
Hax: Daughter's divorce leaves her in dark anger
Dear Carolyn: My daughter is doing very well post-divorce. I can't shake the anger I have for her ex, though. He left the marriage for…
Hax: When to reveal a secret sibling?
Dear Carolyn: In a nutshell, I have children with my wife and also a child outside of my marriage with another woman due to infidelity.…
Hax: Boyfriend's grief needs to be treated with care
Dear Carolyn: Is there a limit to how long one must indulge their partner's grieving period?To make a long story short, my boyfriend's father committed…
Hax: Caution advised on forming new family
Dear Carolyn: I am a 32-year-old woman who has been dating a wonderful man for a little over a year. We are now making lifelong…
Hax: Middle-school cruelty still haunts
Dear Carolyn: I'm 40 with a wonderful family and fulfilling career. Occasionally I am consumed with regret for past behavior. In middle school, there was…
Hax: Affairs put marriage on shaky ground
Hi, Carolyn: A year ago (and a year after my wedding) I found out that during the wedding planning, my spouse had an affair. Since…
Hax: Aunt wants to have 'the talk' with teen niece
Dear Carolyn: My niece just turned 15. Physically, she reminds me of myself at her age — she looks about 19. I lost my virginity…
Hax: Wife's fun with kids hurts husband
Dear Carolyn: When we had kids, I stayed home with them while my husband worked, sometimes with long hours and lots of traveling. I got…
Hax: Parents' love always feels conditional
Dear Carolyn: How do you deal with a family member's "conditional" love? I'm in my mid-30s, and am one of those kids who did not live out their parents' dream, but have a sibling who did. In my heart, I know they are good people, but they seem to be supportive of everyone around me and not me.
Carolyn Hax: Mother-in-laws destructive ways have to stop
Dear Carolyn: My mother-in-law pats my daughter's belly after dinner and says, "That's disgusting! Look at that round belly! How horrible!" She's kind of joking, but I don't like it. My daughter is 1, but I still don't like it. And other female relatives have said Mother-in-Law's comments had a big effect on them. She's in her late 70s -- I don't think she's going to change much. So how do I counter the comments, brush them off, drown her out?
