DEAR ABBY: I am a grandmother and great-grandmother who is concerned about the behavior of my grandson toward his 7-year-old daughter, "Beth," and her 9-year-old cousin, "Mandy." When Mandy recently visited me, she told me her uncle crept up behind her, put his hand over her mouth and then held her nose so she couldn't breathe. She said he has done that to Beth, too.
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Mandy said he held her like that until she felt faint and then let go, laughing. Apparently he does this "all in fun," but I see nothing funny about it. What would make someone do something like this? Mandy told me Beth is afraid of her dad and doesn't want to be left alone with him. I'm very concerned, but I live several states away and don't know what I can do. -- NOT FUNNY
DEAR NOT FUNNY: Your grandson has a bizarre sense of humor. That he would smother anyone -- let alone a child -- to the point of fainting is sadistic, bullying, abusive behavior.
Talk to the child's mother to see how she feels about this. If he would do this to a child, one can only imagine what he may be doing to her. She is the person to put a stop to this. If she can't manage that, then any child in the home should be living elsewhere.