Philip Galanes
Posts
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...
Is My Daughter Horrible for Refusing to Release Me From Her Student Loans?
A reader eager to be freed from $100,000 worth of co-signer responsibilities seeks a judgment on her daughter’s behavior.