DEAR HARRIETTE: My 17-year-old daughter goes to a private school, and she gets invited to parties in the suburbs all the time. My daughter has a friend who attends a public high school. They have known each other since kindergarten, and they spend a lot of time together at our house. My daughter would like her friend to attend the parties as her guest; however, she does not want her friend to feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment. How can we ensure she will have a good time outside of her comfort zone? -- Trying to be a Good Friend, Memphis, Tenn.

DEAR TRYING TO BE A GOOD FRIEND: Your daughter's intentions are great, in that she wants to include her longtime friend in her current activities. There may be times that her friend will enjoy these get-togethers. But you have to know that it isn't guaranteed.

Because your daughter goes to school with these children, she has an automatic bridge to comfort with them that her friend does not. This would be true regardless of any socioeconomic or neighborhood differences. Add those elements, and there certainly could be some awkwardness at first. To make your daughter's friend feel as comfortable as possible, your daughter should stay by her side if she does get her to attend a party. She should introduce her friend to people who are likely to be good listeners and who would welcome her. If she feels welcomed, it will be easier for her to relax. But it is also important to accept that this friend may not become part of your daughter's school friend group. That could be OK, too. Over time, your daughter will likely grow to have many different groups of friends.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife has a compassionate heart, and she gives her money away to anyone who needs it. I think people take advantage of my wife. How can I make her more conscious about who she gives money to without missing the opportunity to help others? -- Cup Is Getting Empty, Dearborn, Mich.

DEAR CUP IS GETTING EMPTY: Do you have a family budget? If so, add charity to it. If not, create a budget that includes all of your household expenditures, and be sure to include a column for charitable giving. Decide together how much money you and your wife will offer to those in need. With a finite number in mind, introduce a conversation about choice. Where can you best offer your money? This is an important question given that there are endless individuals and causes that need support.

Since your wife's nature is to give, help her to think more strategically about where to put her money. If she plans out how she will allocate those funds, it will help her to be more mindful of who will get her money rather than her just giving it to whomever she sees along her path. It actually is an empowering activity that she may grow to love.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have noticed a new practice of people posting pictures on Facebook from times gone by. There's even a name for it, "Throwback Thursdays." I started looking at the pictures that people were posting, and it really has been a lot of fun for me. One day, though, I feel like a friend of mine crossed the line. She posted a photo that is more than 20 years old of my ex-husband and me at our wedding. I was shocked when I saw it. While that day was nice, of course, he turned out to be horrible. He was mean to me. He even beat me, and I eventually got out of that marriage. My friend knows all of that, so I was shocked to see that she would dredge up memories from my past that stir up pain just to play along with this throwback theme. A lot of people commented on the photo, too, many who didn't know I was ever married before. It caused me to have to talk about it again and to retell the story to my current husband of one year. It has been awkward and uncomfortable. What can I say to my friend to get her to never do this again? -- Violated on FB, Salt Lake City

DEAR VIOLATED ON FB: Chances are your friend was not thinking when she posted it. Sometimes people get caught up in the moment and get excited about their discoveries. The reality of the Internet is that you have the ability to share your finds instantly -- without processing how that sharing might affect another person.

Call your friend. Start by acknowledging how much you have enjoyed seeing her postings and traveling down memory lane with her. Then tell her how disturbing that one posting was for you. Ask her to take it down and not to post any other pictures of you and your ex.

In general, I recommend to people who are posting memories, do your best to limit the images to pictures of you. If you want to include other people who are not in the public eye, ask them for permission to do so first. People value their privacy and do not like it being violated.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife thinks it is a good idea to switch our children to a vegan diet. I do not think it is a good idea because children need a well-balanced diet, which consists of fruits, meats, grains and dairy. They are too young to understand what it means to become a vegan. I am not opposed to having my children change their diets when they are teenagers, but I want them to enjoy birthday cakes for celebrations, eat chicken soup when they are sick and enjoy pancakes on Sunday mornings. How can I make wife understand my point of view? -- Let the Children Live, Salt Lake City

DEAR LET THE CHILDREN LIVE: The desire to ensure that your children eat healthy is smart. Many families are vegetarian, including young children. Some adhere to the stricter rules of being vegan, which means eating no products that come from animals, including milk or eggs.

Before making a decision, talk with your pediatrician about how or whether to make this transition. Consider the pros and cons. And talk about what exceptions you might consider for "special occasions." This is a decision to make as a family. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to maintain. For more information about vegetarian and vegan eating for children, visit www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/nutrition/Pages/Vegetartian-Diet-for-Children.aspx.

DEAR HARRIETTE: In my son's fourth grade class, they are studying what is now called "human growth and development." That's what we used to call sex education back in the day. Sort of. This week, the 9- and 10-year-old students learned about what it means to be transgender. My son came home with information on this topic that really threw me. I am no prude or anything, but I was surprised. To tell the truth, I never learned about this stuff. I don't want to come off wrong. I really don't have anything against how people are, but I didn't know what to say to my son about this topic. I said nothing. Then I asked him to tell me what he had learned, and it was awkward. How can I talk to my kid about these topics that once were either taboo or that we didn't really know anything about? -- Searching for the Words, Bronx, N.Y.

DEAR SEARCHING FOR THE WORDS: I believe that the new curriculum that is being offered in some schools across the country that teaches all about sexuality, including the basics of puberty all the way up to gender identity, is very progressive and healthy. For children to learn about how they develop and how they may differ in the way that they express their gender before it becomes uncomfortable or a challenge can be empowering. For parents, just as you must do with mathematics or science, you have to do your homework as well.

The American Psychological Association describes a person who is transgender this way: "Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Gender identity refers to a person's internal sense of being male, female or something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice or body characteristics. 'Trans' is sometimes used as shorthand for 'transgender.' While transgender is generally a good term to use, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is gender-nonconforming will identify as a transgender person. The ways that transgender people are talked about in popular culture, academia and science are constantly changing, particularly as individuals' awareness, knowledge and openness about transgender people and their experiences grow."

To learn more on this topic, go to apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.aspx. I would also stay in close communication with your son's teacher to learn what your son talks about in class and how the curriculum is unfolding for all of the students.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am addicted to TV. I watch all kinds of shows. It has gotten so bad that I have stayed home from work a few times in the past couple of weeks because I didn't want to miss "my show." This is sick, I know, but I can't help it. I don't want to get fired. What should I do? -- TV Tied, Syracuse, N.Y.

DEAR TV TIED: First, you have to agree with yourself that you do want a rounded life that includes gainful employment and social interaction. Next, set your alarm for when you have to get ready for work and immediately turn off the TV when it sounds. Give yourself specific times when you can watch and do your best to honor that. Ask friends to socialize with you away from the TV so you can remember a different kind of fun. If none of that works, get rid of your TV. You can do it!