DEAR ABBY: Recently something has come up in my life that has pushed the shaky relationship between my girlfriend, "Linnay," and my parents to the front burner. She insists they do not like her. Because of it, she rarely speaks more than a few sentences to them and dreads going to my house to visit them.
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I don't think my parents dislike Linnay, but they do seem hesitant to interact with her, involve her in things our family does, and they don't seem motivated to create a better relationship with her.
Linnay has asked me to "fix" the situation, but I feel the way to make their relationship better is for them to work it out. What should each of them do to make this happen? And what can I do to help? -- ANONYMOUS IN TEXAS
DEAR ANONYMOUS: This is not something your girlfriend can work out on her own. Ask your parents why they seem hesitant to interact with her, why they don't invite her to things the family does and why they seem less than eager to create a better relationship with her. Linnay may be shy, or she may have picked up on not-so-subtle signals your parents are sending that they don't approve of her.