life

Mom-To-Be Tires of Cleaning Solo in a House Full of Slobs

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 4th, 2019 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR ABBY: I am 7 1/2 months pregnant, living with my fiance, his cousin, his cousin's girlfriend and her little brother, who she has custody of. (He will be 18 in a few months.) I do all the house cleaning and have for the last year and a half. I constantly pick up after them after work.

The cousin's girlfriend ("Queen Slob") is the worst of the bunch. She doesn't clean up after herself at all. She leaves a trail -- drops her purse on the table, doesn't throw away her trash and leaves dirty dishes everywhere. I have tried not picking up after Queen Slob and everyone else, but they are either so dumb or inconsiderate that they don't put two and two together and realize it's not magic and someone is cleaning up after them.

How do I nicely express that I'm fed up with being the only one who keeps the house clean without coming off like a crazy pregnant lady? I'm running out of energy. I have been trying to clean for my baby shower, but I'm getting nowhere because every time I clean something, I have to do it again the next day. I also can't get the house ready for the arrival of the baby. It's not going to be fair to my baby if Mommy has to clean up someone's mess before I feed him. Help, Abby! -- MAID IN NEVADA

DEAR MAID: You are right that once the baby arrives you won't be able to keep up what you have been doing. If you haven't expressed to your fiance what you have shared with me, it is long overdue. The two of you should convene a meeting of everyone who lives under that roof and set some house rules. If the cousin and his girlfriend won't cooperate, they should move.

As to your baby shower, if you have a close friend or relative nearby, it might be more practical to hold it in one of their homes.

Holidays & CelebrationsHealth & SafetyFamily & Parenting
life

Son Pays Price for Girl's Bullying

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 4th, 2019 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR ABBY: My 10-year-old son is behaviorally challenged and receives special education services at school. He is in the fourth grade.

Since the beginning of the school year he has been bullied by a girl in his class. She intentionally embarrasses him and makes fun of him in front of his classmates or when the teacher isn't looking. His reaction to her bullying gets him in trouble. Unfortunately, they don't see what she's doing that causes it. My son gets put into isolation at school, but seldom does she have any consequences for the bullying because she's discreet.

I have talked with his teacher, his counselor, special education coordinator, vice principal and the principal. Their only focus is my son's behavior/reaction. They don't address the issue of the girl bullying him. I tell him to ignore her, tell his teacher, tell the vice principal, but my advice has changed nothing. I don't know what to do. Please help me. -- STOP THE BULLYING

DEAR STOP THE BULLYING: If I were in your situation, first, I'd keep a record of these instances. Then I would try to talk to the girl's parents. If they were uncooperative, I'd then address my concerns to the school board in my community. And, if nothing changed, I would contact an attorney who specializes in cases of discrimination.

Work & SchoolFamily & Parenting
life

Man Still in Love With Ex Is Tempted to Test the Water

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 3rd, 2019 | Letter 1 of 3

DEAR ABBY: I have been divorced for 26 years. I have been engaged a couple of times since, but never made it back to the altar. My ex-wife has now permanently separated from her second husband. I have helped her financially and emotionally through a couple of stressful situations in the interim due to her second husband.

I became available again myself about 18 months ago, so I have been considering inviting her to dinner to help her relax and give her someone to talk to other than family. The problem is, she still seems to regard me as "the enemy." She will speak to me, but it's just bare bones conversation. I have never stopped loving her. Should I ask her to dinner or just let things be? -- STILL LOVIN' MY EX

DEAR STILL LOVIN': I wish you had mentioned what destroyed your marriage 26 years ago. Whatever it was, because your ex still seems to regard you as "the enemy," in spite of the fact that you have helped her financially and emotionally, I don't think what you have in mind is feasible. Sometimes it's safer to love someone from a distance, and this may be one of them.

MoneyMarriage & Divorce
life

Renters Share a House but Not Weekly Garbage Duty

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 3rd, 2019 | Letter 2 of 3

DEAR ABBY: We live in the downstairs apartment of an old Victorian house that has been converted into three separate apartments. We try to be good neighbors and do our part keeping up with our neighborly duties. However, lately we've been finding ourselves the only ones doing our part.

Every Sunday evening, we roll out the garbage, recycling and compost bins for the Monday morning pickup. Currently, there is only one other tenant living here, a man who has been here for more than a year. Not once has he bothered to roll out these carts that he uses as well. How should we handle this without coming off as nagging or rude? -- PEEVED IN PORTLAND, ORE.

DEAR PEEVED: Your neighbor isn't a mind reader. He may think you are doing this as part of your deal with the landlord. If you haven't discussed this with your neighbor, you should. If you do, you may be able to agree on some sort of schedule.

Friends & Neighbors
life

Law School Graduate Is Happy Not Being a Lawyer

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 3rd, 2019 | Letter 3 of 3

DEAR ABBY: I graduated from law school several years ago. I didn't pass the bar, and I now have a non-law-related job. I am fine with it, and I really do not aspire to be in the field of law. My parents didn't help me with law school tuition, nor am I saddled with debt.

My problem is, some family members -- and a few acquaintances -- seem to think me almost a novelty. I get comments such as, "Hey, how's that degree working for you?" and "Are you ever going to use your degree?" and "Do you regret going to law school?" I find it really annoying. How can I put a stop to it? -- NOT A LAWYER AND FINE

DEAR NOT A LAWYER: Tell these "curious" individuals that you do not regret going to law school because knowledge of the law is valuable when it's applied to other fields. As to how that degree is working for you, tell the questioner it's working so well you are now considering going for a degree in astrophysics.

Work & School
life

Woman's Parents Stew Over Her May-December Romance

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 2nd, 2019 | Letter 1 of 3

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have a 22-year-old daughter, "Cara," who is having a relationship with a 65-year-old man, "Gary." We do not approve of the relationship.

Gary is going through a divorce, and Cara has moved into his rented condo with him. She just graduated from college. She doesn't have a job, has no money and drives an old car. She was always a good student and never did anything wrong. She didn't date much and was a wonderful child. She and Gary have been together for almost six months now.

Cara knows we love her but do not approve of the relationship. She also knows that Gary is not welcome in our home. She sees nothing wrong with their relationship. She doesn't socialize with her friends as often as she used to. Gary works full-time and also has a job on weekends. We never speak of him when we talk to our daughter. What is going on? What should we do? When will it end? Where is her head? -- NERVOUS IN NEW ENGLAND

DEAR NERVOUS: Your daughter -- who didn't date much -- thinks she's in love with Gary. Because she is emotionally involved, she's thinking with her heart, not her head. What you need to do is loosen up.

Tell your daughter you and your husband will welcome Gary into your home. And when that happens, get to know him and talk with him about the importance of her getting a job in the field for which she has worked so hard to qualify.

Their relationship will end when she finally tires of living with someone who is old enough to be her grandfather, and who has little time to devote to her because he has financial obligations toward his almost-ex-wife. Cross your fingers and hope she grows impatient soon.

Work & SchoolLove & DatingFamily & Parenting
life

Saving Seats at School Concert Turns Into a Showdown

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 2nd, 2019 | Letter 2 of 3

DEAR ABBY: At my preschooler's concert, another parent asked me to hold a seat for her near the front. I draped a sweater over two seats. Shortly after, another family arrived, and the grandfather of another child removed the sweater, claiming the seats for members of his family who were also absent.

Three times I tried to explain that I was holding a seat for a parent with a disability who was having a hard time getting to the auditorium. Each time I was rudely interrupted. The man grabbed me by the shoulder, threatened me and even invited me to settle things outside. He later photographed my wife and children.

Not wanting to be that parent who gets into a fight over a seat at a children's event, I backed down. Afterward, though, I did file a report with the police. Now I am deciding whether to press charges.

I don't want to overreact, but I have heard from other parents that this man has a tendency to bully. I have always been bothered by stories about violence at kids' events and feel this man crossed a line. Should I? -- PROVOKED IN THE EAST

DEAR PROVOKED: If this man behaved as you described and put his hands on you, then you were physically assaulted. If there were other parents who witnessed it and would be willing to testify if you press charges, go ahead and pursue it. When you do, the bully will be in the system the next time he does it to someone.

Etiquette & Ethics
life

Daylight Saving Time Ends

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | November 2nd, 2019 | Letter 3 of 3

DEAR READERS: It's time again to remind you that daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour at bedtime tonight. And while you're at it, remember to change the batteries in your fire alarms and smoke detectors.

Holidays & Celebrations

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