DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Six years ago I was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In the past I have managed it better than I have been able to this winter. I had my baby in early December and my doctor told me postpartum depression can add to my SAD. My therapist, my doctor, and I have been working together to get me through this hard time.

I am blessed to have a lot of support around me. My husband, mom, and sister are great and with me all the way. My mother-in-law is just the opposite. She told me I just have to “pull myself together and keep busy.” She said that is what got her through her own “baby blues.”

She doesn’t understand what I have is more than “baby blues.” There are days where just getting started in the morning takes everything I have. By the time my husband gets home from work I am completely empty.

Like I said, my mother and sister have been a huge help, but they both work and my sister has two kids of her own. My husband steps in and helps me when I have a bad day, even though he has put in a full day at work and is tired too.

When his mother comes to visit, she helps me for a while in the morning, then heads out to see her old friends or go shopping. She gets back by the time my husband gets home, and she makes passive aggressive little comments about what I did all day, especially since she helped me with the morning routine.

Her visits just make everything worse for me. Our daughter is her first grandchild, so I know she wants to be part of her life, but right now she is making my life difficult.

Do I ask her to stop visiting, or just stop expecting anything from her visits other than the smallest help and the heaviest criticism? --- DOING MY BEST

DEAR DOING MY BEST: Asking your mother-in-law to stop visiting is certainly one option, but it’s not likely to go over well with her.

A potentially more diplomatic back-up plan would be to ask her to babysit for her granddaughter during the usual morning routine time for even a little bit so that you’re able to get out of the house for a short break. It could be as simple as a supermarket run, a chance to grab a cup of coffee with a friend, or a walk around the neighborhood.

These quick outings would provide you with some separation from your unsympathetic mother-in-law and hopefully help you with your SAD and postpartum struggles.

Whatever approach you decide on, I strongly recommend you have your husband onboard before bringing it up with your mother-in-law. A united front should result in a stronger argument for getting you what you need for your own mental health.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am and have always been an introvert. I am more than alright with that.

What is not so good is that the company I have worked for since I graduated college is shutting down because the owner is retiring. He has promised to give me an outstanding recommendation for my next job and I know he will make good on that promise.

I have started looking for a new job, which means I have to face being interviewed. I am terrible in interviews and only got the job I have because my boss is also super shy and was willing to give me a shot in spite of how bad my interview with him was based on my degree and other experience.

Tech jobs in my specialty have become extremely competitive and I have already been beaten out by other people who I guarantee interview better than I do, not that that is hard to do.

My parents say I should get an interview coach, but they cost a lot of money. They and my friend in HR have tried to help me prep for interviews, but the last one I did was a huge bust. The interviewers had their camera off, so I did the whole interview looking at my reflection on the laptop. It was painful.

Do you think it is worth it to hire someone to help me interview better, or is it a waste of time and money, especially since I am going to be out of work soon? --- HORRIBLE INTERVIEWEE

DEAR HORRIBLE INTERVIEWEE: In-person interviews are nerve-wracking enough, but at least they give the interviewee a sense of how well or poorly they’re doing, which isn’t as easy to gauge when you’re unable to see who you’re speaking with during an on-line interview.

Whether or not to hire an interview coach is a good question to ask your friend in HR. They might be able to give you practical guidance based on their experience, as well as potentially point you in the direction of coaches or on-line interview skill classes they’d recommend.

If you’re told by an HR professional that hiring an interview coach can substantially boost your competitive edge, then although it’ll strain your budget at this point, it could prove to be one of the wisest investments you’ll ever make.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I love that my daughter is generous and caring. What has me a little worried is that since she started working at Burger King she decided to donate half her earnings to a different GoFundMe account every payday. Her father and I have spoken to her about putting that money aside for her own use instead, like for college, which is coming up in less than two years. She has told us both the same thing, that she believes in giving back and isn’t worried about affording college because she’ll figure that out, “When the time comes.”

My ex-husband and his wife and I have told my daughter we will help her some with college, but none of us can do all that much.

Even though what she makes at her after-school job isn’t much, it is something, and once she is in college she may find it a good thing to have something in her bank account to fall back on.

Can you think of any arguments to help persuade my perhaps too generous daughter to save some of her money for herself? --- CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

DEAR CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME: You do indeed have a generous daughter, and that’s a good thing. She’s also young and not likely to have an idea of just how expensive higher education has become.

Sit down with her and take a look at what the schools she’s considering currently cost. If possible, provide her with a ballpark amount of what all her parents expect to be able to contribute toward those costs.

Having a more concrete picture of what her future education is likely to set everyone back will hopefully help her realize that it might be in her own family’s interest for her to reduce her level of charitable donations in order to have even a small nest egg by the start of her college career.