DEAR HARRIETTE: My little sister has been pretending to take her ADD medication by half swallowing it as she walks out the door in front of my mom and coughing it up as she walks to the bus to go to school. I have seen her do this over a dozen times out the window, so I know it's not a one-time thing. Should I tell my parents about what I'm seeing? She has gotten bad reports at school, and they think this medication will help her. -- Sip and Swallow, Milwaukee

DEAR SIP AND SWALLOW: This is one of the few times that I am going to recommend that you “tell on” your sister. You absolutely should tell your parents what you have observed so that they can support your sister in getting on track. If she has been diagnosed with ADD and is receiving medication, her medical doctor and your parents believe it is necessary.

As her sister, you may also want to speak to her directly and tell her that you have seen her spit out her pills. Ask her why she refuses to take them, and do your best to find out what’s going on with her at school. Don’t try to tell her what to do, as that won’t work. But with great compassion, let her know that you care about her and want her to be healthy and to do well in school.

When your parents confront her, know that she will be angry that you revealed her behavior. Let her know that you told them because you love her and want the best for her.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been a vegan since high school with no intention of stopping. My fiance, however, is an avid meat, dairy and egg eater. I don't care about what he chooses to put into his body, but we have been fighting about food preparation recently. “Alan” hates the plant-based lifestyle, and gripes that I won't just cook him a steak. I tell him he has the complete green light to go to the store, buy himself a steak and cook it. Since Alan doesn't want to do the food shopping or cooking, I tell him to suck it up or start being proactive. Is this too harsh? We've been fighting about this for over a year. -- Sticking to My Plants, Greenwich, Connecticut

DEAR STICKING TO MY PLANTS: If you and Alan are to be married, you two need to work this out. Would you be willing to cook all of the meals if he were to become vegan? If so, that means you are putting your foot down simply because he chooses to eat differently than you. That may not be the best way to start your marriage.

If your intention is to be the primary cook, you may want to learn how to cook a few meat dishes. By giving in a little, you can create space for the two of you to grow together. You may be able to introduce some of your favorite foods to him and get him to eat less meat over time, too!

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: This summer, I am directly managing an intern for my operations team. Whenever my intern has some downtime, I encourage her to go check out other departments of the company so she can learn during her time with us.

I thought this was a great plan until I realized another colleague was giving her orders and using her for errands. How do I stick up for my intern when other departments are asking her to do work that takes her away from her responsibilities? -- No Funny Business, Cleveland

DEAR NO FUNNY BUSINESS: Let’s start with assessing how much downtime your intern has. It may be beneficial to her not only to observe what other departments are doing, but also to take part in some of their work. If she is handling a task or two here and there with other departments, that may not be a problem. Before you jump to conclusions, evaluate how your intern is spending her time, what others are asking her to do and whether she feels that she is learning. Next, speak to your colleague and ask the person to clear any tasks to be given to the intern with you before assigning them so that you can manage her time. The way you can stick up for your intern is to oversee her time. You may not need to block other engagement at your job, though.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was recently given three days off because of my overtime hours in the past few weeks. At first, I was happy and grateful that I could have a break, but now I'm beginning to think that my boss just wants me out of the office. My friends tell me I'm crazy, but I don't see other people getting this much time off due to their overtime! Am I losing it, or am I right to be suspicious? -- Something's Brewing, Philadelphia

DEAR SOMETHING’S BREWING: Many companies are choosing to give employees time off rather than having to pay them overtime. This is one way that they are managing costs. At face value, your situation sounds like the new norm.

That said, if your instinct is telling you that there’s something else afoot, pay attention. When you come back to the office, request a meeting with your boss, and ask what you can do to help make your contribution more efficient. Point out that you know that he is very conscientious about the use of overtime. Ask him if he has any strategies to recommend for getting the work completed without the need for additional hours. Let him know you want to be an effective team player. Ask for his guidance on making that happen. Even if your nervousness was all in your head, showing your boss that you want to do what’s best for the company is always wise.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I believe my car repairman is taking advantage of me. Admittedly, I don't know much about my car and how it functions, but “Jeff” gives me quotes about how many hundreds it will cost to replace parts on a fairly new American-made car after I go in to change my oil. He makes this seem like such a pressing issue, but I can't help but feel like he's just trying to squeeze every penny out of me. There are only two repair shops in town, so I choose between high prices or lies from Jeff. How can I assert myself so he stops trying to hold my car hostage? -- If It Ain't Broke, Aberdeen, Maryland

DEAR IF IT AIN’T BROKE: It is time for a third opinion. This time, you have to venture outside your town. Ask for referrals from friends or co-workers for a car repair service that is reputable and affordable. Call and ask if you can schedule a consultation. Sometimes you can get a simple evaluation as a courtesy or for a small fee. Do not reveal what you have been told by your guy. Instead, listen to learn what this new person suggests. If the recommendations match, go back to your guy. If your hunch is correct and it seems that Jeff is steering you down an unnecessary path, change your allegiance and start working with this new person. You can also let Jeff know at some point that you got another opinion and found that he was being unnecessarily pushy with his suggestions for your new car.

Finally, you should learn more about the inner workings of your car so that you have a working vocabulary and understanding of how it functions. In this way, you can be more proactive and knowledgeable when it comes time to have your car serviced.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 13-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with extremely low vitamin D. Her pediatrician told me to give her a daily dose of vitamin D to help balance her body, but this has me worried. My daughter eats well, and I just don’t understand why she would be so deficient. She is lactose intolerant, so she doesn’t drink much milk. The doctor said the sun helps -- except he doesn’t really want her hanging out in the sun because of the negative effects of sun on the skin. I’m giving her the vitamins, but I feel like a horrible mother that my daughter is in the predicament in the first place. -- Unbalanced, Dallas

DEAR UNBALANCED: Stop beating yourself up. Your doctor’s prescription for daily vitamin D is a common solution and one that should alleviate her problem. You should follow up with the doctor about what foods you can add to her diet to fortify her vitamin D intake as well. Look for alternatives to milk that contain vitamin D, including soy, rice and almond milk. Lactaid is an option that many lactose-intolerant people use.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)