DEAR ABBY: From time to time you ask readers to share their pet peeves. I hope you will allow me to air mine. I am a family therapist.
What makes me want to hit my head against the wall when I go home some nights is parents who would rather bail their child out of trouble than put in the time in advance to assure that the child gets the help he or she needs. I see it happen repeatedly.
You seem to have an answer for everything. What do these parents think will happen when the "child" reaches middle age and there are no more excuses left? I challenge you to answer that one. -- BURNED OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS
DEAR BURNED OUT: There's no one-size-fits-all answer to your question. Some parents tolerate their children's repeated misbehavior because they refuse to admit that their child could be flawed. Others are so involved in their own lives that they would rather throw money at a problem than make tougher, more demanding choices. The outcome is predictable, but they're not thinking ahead.
Which brings me back to you: If you are truly ready to "hit your head against a wall" at the end of your workday, please consider this: Sometimes it TAKES a therapist to HELP a therapist. Find one before you truly burn out. To paraphrase a pearl of wisdom attributed to Henry Kissinger: "A problem ignored is a crisis invited."