:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/DCFVHQSMKVC2PKBXV4JZESRFK4.jpg)
Ask Amy: Husband recently diagnosed with ADHD and Autism
Dear Amy: He is a wonderful husband and has been a great provider. He just prefers a lot of time alone and does not enjoy chit-chat or meeting new people.
Ask Amy
Advertisement
Ask Amy: This is not love. This is control.
Regular readers know that I rarely say this, but – get out. I’ll come and get you, myself, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: Son wants to join the Navy SEALs
Dear Amy: Although his intentions are admirable, we are aware that becoming a Navy SEAL is extremely difficult and that the process pushes applicants beyond their physical limits.
Ask Amy: If a romantic relationship is emotionally draining, is this a sign of toxicity?
Dear Drained and Wondering: Here are some life-events that can be emotionally draining on a day-to-day basis: Raising an autistic child, losing a loved-one to dementia or caring for someone at the end of life. Being in a romantic relationship should NOT be emotionally draining.
Ask Amy: Father still married despite no contact with wife
Dear Amy: I recently reached out to my estranged father to inquire about any life changes he may have had recently, because I was going through the federal security clearance process. When asked if he was still married, his response was, "Theoretically yes."
Ask Amy: Your husband is hurting
You may not have all of the answers or a surefire solution to an entrenched family dynamic, but you could help to ease your husband’s pain by encouraging him to open up to you, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: I don’t want to invite one family to my party
Dear Amy: Every year, with the help of my husband and six children, I throw myself a birthday party at a local roller rink. It's all I want: to party and rollerblade with my family and friends like I'm still young.
Ask Amy: A childfree woman struggles with friendship
Dear Amy: I love my friends’ kids, but I’m both exhausted from maintaining those friendships and deeply unsatisfied with their quality.
Ask Amy: Friend sharing private information about husband’s patients
Dear Amy: I had a long-term close friendship that I have finally completely severed. This friend is married to a prominent doctor.
Ask Amy: Stepdaughters called DCFS about my son’s cannabis use
Dear Amy: This betrayal led to familial estrangement from the stepdaughters.
Ask Amy: Those who can should give abundantly
Dear Readers: As I offer my 20th annual year-end “charity roundup,” I’d like to remind readers that while charity truly does begin at home, it need not stay there.
Ask Amy: Let children play!
Dear Amy: I have two boys – ages six and three – who show every sign of loving gender-typical toys like cars and trucks. They also love the toy kitchen we bought when our older one was three.
Ask Amy: Sister wants to bring married boyfriend home for the holidays
Dear Amy: My sister says the situation is “complicated,” but for me it’s not actually that complicated.
Ask Amy: Are we being selfish in not wanting to attend the annual holiday gathering?
Dear Amy: Other than being married to our father, she's not really "family," and we really don't care to continue a relationship.
Ask Amy: 40-year friendship ended over poor cell phone reception
Dear Amy: A while ago my wife got a cellphone call from “Martine,” a very high-strung woman whom she regarded as a friend.
Ask Amy: Smart friend really wants a tiny home
Dear Amy: My friend recently asked if my husband would build a tiny house on our property for her to move into. She expects my husband to build it for her (she would pay for the materials). My husband and I said no. We don’t wish to do this, for many reasons.
Ask Amy: Friend of abused woman steps away
Dear Amy: “Christy” and I have been friends for more than 25 years. Christy married an abusive monster, and after 15 years of her crying to me and then going back to him, I stepped away for a few years.
Ask Amy: Single man searches for the right match
Dear Amy: I’ve been single since high school (I’m currently 27 years old).
Ask Amy: Readers should put ‘A Book on Every Bed’
Dear Readers: For the past 14 years, I have devoted one December column entirely to the idea of giving books to children on Christmas morning (or whatever wintertime holiday you celebrate).
Ask Amy: Family is stressed by elder’s inaction
Dear Amy: My mother-in-law is 80 and insists on living in her own house. She expects us to help with her house. Anytime anything breaks, needs fixing or work needs to be done, she expects us to tend to the issue.
Advertisement
Ask Amy: Should we try a long-distance relationship or break up?
Dear Amy: Should we try a long-distance relationship, or break up now because our future plans don’t seem to include the other?
Ask Amy: I don’t want to host family for holidays when they are sick
Dear Amy: Can I ask my daughter-in-law not to come here when anyone in the family is sick?
Ask Amy: Mother-in-law keeps asking for money
Dear Amy: Her mother has a good career and makes very good money at her job. However, she has very little to show for it, with no savings or home ownership.
Ask Amy: I have no patience with my elderly in-laws
Dear Amy: This has bled over into my relationship with my wife, who complains that I always have to be the smartest person in the room.
Ask Amy: A bestie’s betrayal may be friendship-ender
Dear Amy: My best friend of many years, “Alexis,” dated married guys for years of her young adult life, basically pulverizing several marriages. This behavior continued during the early years of her own marriage.
Ask Amy: Parents struggle to handle child’s school stress
Dear Amy: My son is 8 years old and is very talkative and inquisitive. He asks lots of “why” questions that don't always coincide with the current conversation, but are about a previous topic.
Ask Amy: High-schooler wants distance from former friend
Dear Amy: I’m a girl in 11th grade. In my freshman year, I made friends with “Ruby.”
Ask Amy: Anxious host wants to politely stop
Dear Amy: How can I politely say no when friends are passing through town or vacationing here and ask if they can spend a couple of nights with us?
Ask Amy: My daughter-in-law doesn’t like me
Dear Amy: She is openly impatient with my son and absolutely cold to me during my visits.
Ask Amy: Why is friendship undervalued?
Dear Amy: Friends and family members have suggested that I'm crazy not to date him, but I just don't see him that way.