DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: While I have a bachelor’s and am working on a master’s degree in education, my friend, who I’ve known since freshman year of college, just completed a second master’s and her doctorate program in education before the start of the current school year.

I am not a stupid person, but my well-degreed friend likes to try and make me, and everyone around her, feel that way. I heard from other teachers at the high school where she teaches three different AP classes, that she really pushes the “Dr.” bit ever since she received her PhD.

Whenever we get together, she condescendingly asks about how my master’s program is going, and hints it seems to be taking me a long time to complete it. Never mind that I have a two-year-old and a husband, in addition to a fulltime teaching career to keep up with, while she is barely dating, and lives half the year with her parents.

I know it shouldn’t get to me, but her smugness does. I know it sounds like I don’t really like her that much, but she is generally a good person. Just a bit stuck-up.

Is it worth saying something to her about how she comes off, or do I just grin and bear it? --- I’M NO DUMMY

DEAR I’M NO DUMMY: One of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes is, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It’s a principle I’ve put into practice more than once, and I think it’s one that may help you with your proudly erudite friend.

You too have and continue to achieve many things in your life, some of which your old college friend has not. Give yourself credit for your own accomplishments and congratulate her on hers. That you’re raising a child and pursuing an advanced degree, all while working fulltime in a demanding profession are remarkable achievements, of which you should rightfully take pride.

In place of telling your friend off for her snobbery, it might serve just as well to remind her that everyone has different priorities and timetables, and while you’re happy she’s following hers, you’d also appreciate it if she could support other people in their efforts to pursue theirs as their individual circumstances allow.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My parents were married for nearly 40 years. They used to fight over money and other things a lot of the time when we were growing up, and then they separated a few years ago and now are legally divorced.

My mother has been living with a nice man, who she plans to marry by the end of the year. He runs his own business and has kids and grandkids nearby, so even though I miss her I know my mom and he are going to stay where they are, and that they have each other gives me a lot of peace of mind.

My dad, on the other hand, is not at all the social type. So far as I know he hasn’t ever dated after he and Mom split, at least not seriously.

He is getting ready to retire from his job with the county by late spring, and I would love it for him to come and live near me and my boyfriend and our two kids. One is just over a year old and the other is going to start preschool this year.

Dad has come to visit us a few times each year since we moved away, and he mentions how much he likes the area every time he comes. But right now, he says he wants to stay where he is, even though there isn’t much of anything for him there. Many of the men and women he’s worked and hung out with are also retiring, and several have or are planning to move nearer their kids and grandkids, or to places where the weather is easier for them.

What can I do to get my dad to come here and stop missing all the early years with his grandchildren, as well as to avoid his being alone, especially when he stops working? --- WANT DAD NEARER

DEAR WANT DAD NEARER: I think you’re already making one of the most compelling arguments for a grandparent in reminding your dad about all he’s missing with his grandchildren. You might also consider openly sharing your concerns about how he’ll fare socially once he’s retired and many of his friends move on to new lives elsewhere.

Another potential enticement is if your dad has hobbies or other interests that can readily be transferred to your area. Finding a little continuity here and there may help him feel more comfortable in making a change, not just from one location to another, but stepping out of the working world and into retirement. Finding a variety of ways to make your particular part of the world attractive and doable for your dad could tip the scales in your favor.

One final word — remember your father’s an adult who’s been arranging his own life for a long time. Respect that, and don’t be surprised if he continues to resist another big transition, especially one he’s simply not ready or willing to make, at least for now.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My grandparents started their family when they were really young, so now they are divorced since last fall they are still young enough to want to find someone new.

My grandfather has been seeing a woman he used to work with, but my grandma has not found anyone, so my cousin and I got her a premium OurTime account. We worked with her to find someone to meet up with, and although she said he seemed like a nice man, the whole experience just was not for her, and she has not gone on a second date either with the first match or anyone else, and told us she did not think the whole dating app thing is for her.

Both my cousin and I have had really good experiences with dating apps, including my cousin meeting her fiancé through one, so we are having a hard time understanding why our grandma will not give it another shot. We both think she has been lonely since the divorce, even though they did not seem very happy the last few years they were married, so we would think she would like the chance to meet new people.

How hard do we push to see if we can’t get grandma to give online matchmaking another shot? It is nice to see that our grandfather seems to have found someone, and we want the same for our grandma. --- WANT GRANDMA TO BE HAPPY TOO

DEAR WANT GRANDMA TO BE HAPPY TOO: Just because your grandmother’s online dating experience wasn’t as successful as some others with which you’re familiar, it doesn’t mean she’s given up on the idea of meeting someone new on her own terms, or like in your grandfather’s case, reconnecting with an old friend or acquaintance.

She tried it your way, now I think you ought to just let her follow her own path, which for your grandmother may mean cultivating other interests and social connections outside of romantic ones, at least for the time being.