Philip Galanes
Posts
How Do I Ask a Close Friend’s Husband to Be Our Sperm Donor?
After getting an initial thumbs up that may have been in jest, a reader wonders how to make a sensitive request that is more likely...
My Child’s Friend Asked to Be Called a Name Used by Another Gender. Should I Do It?
A reader is unsure how to respond to a child’s wish to go by a different name after learning that the child’s mother decided not...
My Sister-in-Law Spent All Her Parents’ Money When She Took Them In. Now She Wants More!
After her sister-in-law spent the money from the sale of her parents’ house on upgrades to her own, a reader bristles at being made to...
What Can I Do About My Daughter’s Father Showing Up Drunk?
When an ex returns from out of the blue with the same drinking problem but a new desire to be in his daughter’s life, a...
Do We Have to Pay for Our Children’s ‘Platonic Partners’ on Family Vacations?
Mindful of costs, a reader wonders whether she and her husband are obligated to extend the same hospitality to their daughter’s best friend as to...
I Used a Slur for Accuracy When Repeating a Joke. Why Is Everyone Upset?
A reader asks whether she has to apologize after recounting a joke that used racist language in front of her son’s friend, who later said...
My Husband’s Children Stopped Talking to Him After They Saw His Will. Help!
A reader’s adult stepchildren want nothing to do with her or their father after learning that the couple plan to leave their estates to each...
My Boyfriend Wants a Prenup. Can I Say No?
Put off by her fiancé’s request for a prenuptial agreement after years of paying her own way, a reader is finding that resentment is crowding...
I Knew My Father Cheated. Is My Parents’ Divorce My Fault?
After witnessing her father at a motel with a woman who was not her mother, a young reader describes experiencing near-daily guilt about not having...
Why Is My Boyfriend Pursuing Other Options After Planning a Summer With Me?
A reader is left to make new arrangements after learning that her boyfriend, who had agreed to live with her for the summer, was jockeying...