DEAR ABBY: I have an 11-year-old son who has started having issues with lying -- nothing important, just little things like did he do his chores or brush his teeth.
I also have an alcoholic husband who says and does things he doesn't remember later. When I get conflicting stories from the two of them, I don't know whom to believe.
Don't suggest I leave my husband. It's not financially feasible right now, though it is something I am looking into. -- WHOM DO I BELIEVE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR WHOM: I am not suggesting that you leave your husband, unless he poses a danger to his son during one of his blackouts. However, if I had to choose between a husband who says and does things he doesn't remember later, and an 11-year-old boy who lies occasionally about having brushed his teeth or done his chores, I'd be inclined to believe the more sober of the two, your son. And I'd make darn sure my son understood that, while I might be disappointed he hadn't done what he was supposed to do, he'd be punished if I caught him lying to me about it.