DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When my husband and I moved into our new custom-built house, his favorite auntie gave us a large piece of what she thinks is “art” and what we both agree is hideous.

We know she meant well, but there’s no way we will put it up on display, at least not in the main rooms. And if we put it in one of the spare bedrooms, which my husband suggested, I worry she will find that as insulting as not hanging it at all.

We checked out the artist, and she is kind of a big deal and this was not an inexpensive purchase, and Auntie is not a rich woman.

How do we get around this sticky situation? --- NOT ON OUR WALLS

DEAR NOT ON OUR WALLS: This is a good lesson in how chancy gifting artwork can be if you don’t know someone’s specific tastes.

Obviously, you and your husband are anxious to not offend. One suggestion I can offer is that should Auntie come to visit in the near future, let her know you’re still trying to figure out the best place in your new home to display her gift, which is the truth.

Another option is following your husband’s suggestion of hanging it in a guest room. You can present it to your aunt as the room you hope to make an oasis for visitors, with the painting the centerpiece of that plan. In time, you might discover that guests truly do value the picture more than you and your husband do — a practical demonstration of different strokes for different folks.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Whenever I’m around our grandkids, it drives me up the wall to see them buried in the device of the day, not even talking to their siblings or cousins when we’re all together at one of their homes or my place.

I know from personal experience how easy it is to get sucked into the virtual world, and I also know I am far from alone in this frustration of trying to break through to those who can’t seem to live without it.

We have tried doing the kinds of things that their parents enjoyed, going out to eat, hitting parks and playgrounds, renting beach houses for family vacations. None of it works, and I’m looking for fresh ideas to crack this aggravating nut. --- HOW DO I BATTLE TECH ADDICTION?

DEAR HOW DO I BATTLE TECH ADDICTION: A few years ago I was at a large restaurant at a major theme park, and the waiter made a comment about how few families actually communicate during meals, with everyone — adults included — buried in their cell phones. It’s a sad thing to see, and it does appear to be getting worse.

Since you’ve tried some of the distractions I would’ve suggested, perhaps you could take the “if you can’t beat-em-join-em” approach.

Find out if they’re playing any on-line games that can be joined in on by other players. You have a wealth of knowledge ready for the tapping by kids playing Words with Friends 2, Monopoly, competitive crossword/word games, trivia challenges, and a variety of apps, many of which can be shared across different platforms, and even mastered by us older generations.

Once you get connected to a small part of their device-centered universe, you may find it possible to set limits, at least when they’re around you. If nothing else, they may figure out Gramps isn’t so dumb after all.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I don’t know what to do to make our children less angry at us for having gotten rid of some of their stuff when we were preparing to put our house on the market. We have long wanted to downsize, and we have mentioned that we were planning to do so for years now. We told our kids to come and either take away or get rid of the things they no longer need or want and we have basically been storing for them since they all moved out for college or after they got married.

No one took us seriously, and with the housing market favoring sellers, my husband and I decided to take advantage of selling our house and buying a condo, which we will be moving into soon.

When our kids were home around the holidays, they finally decided to go through their stuff, most of which we had already cleared out. We kept a few valuable or sentimental things that belonged to each, but most of the rest went to Goodwill and our church’s thrift shop.

My husband and I got blasted for not holding onto everything. One of our daughters left the house because she was so mad at us.

I feel bad that they are upset, but as my husband says, they were warned, and warned, and warned again.

How do we make it up to our children, or do you think we even have to? --- MOM OF SOME ANGRY KIDS

DEAR MOM OF SOME ANGRY KIDS: I fully understand your “mom guilt,” but it sounds like you gave them clear notice of their need to come and get it, and they chose to put it off until beyond the last minute. To me, that means you have nothing for which to blame yourselves.

The fact that they lived without the stuff since the time they moved out implies they can live without it from now on. At least you set aside a few things you believed were of special value to them, so they can’t claim you left them nothing from their early lives.