DEAR HARRIETTE: My parents recently divorced after 25 years of marriage. It was an amicable split, which was nice for the family because it didn’t cause many problems. Now that they live separately, they both have their own, separate, family gatherings, and a lot of these gatherings fall on the same days. This had been tough for me because each parent thinks I should be at their party over the other’s. It’s getting to the point where I don’t want to go to either of them. I try to split up and spend time at both, but it’s never good enough. I try telling them, but they don’t listen to me. What do you think I should do? -- Annoyed Daughter, Seattle

DEAR ANNOYED DAUGHTER: While the divorce may have been amicable, the aftermath is at best unthoughtful as it relates to you. Tell them you need them to pick separate dates for events or take turns with holiday celebrations. Point out that if they continue to try to guilt you into being with one or the other of them, the result is that they will end up pushing you away from both of them. You may need to stay away for a few cycles of gatherings until they get the point.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m 21 years old, and I’m pregnant with my boyfriend's child. When I told him the news, he immediately freaked out and told me he wanted me to have an abortion. I couldn’t believe the way he reacted to the situation. I was scared and nervous when I found out, too, but I didn’t react the way he did. I know it’s scary, but I never even considered having an abortion. I want to keep the baby whether he wants to be in the picture or not. Given the way he reacted, how do you think I should tell him that I’m keeping the baby? -- 21 and Pregnant, Milwaukee

DEAR 21 AND PREGNANT: I believe in a woman’s right to choose, which includes choosing to keep a child. What you need to think through is how you will care for your baby. You cannot count on your boyfriend, though you should tell him that you intend to keep the child.

You need to figure out next steps. If you intend to raise the child, how will you be able to afford to take care of it? Do you have any support that you can count on? Do you have a job? What can you do to be able to manage? You have to be practical and realistic now.

If you do not have the support system you need, consider giving up your child for adoption. I know that this can be a stressful consideration, but there are reputable adoption agencies that do an excellent job of placing children with loving, capable families. Be still long enough to process your choices. Discuss them with your boyfriend and your family. Make an informed decision.

(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: We don’t have cubicles or private offices at my job -- more of an open area with desks arranged in pods. My “pod” consists of the five people on my team and me. The girl I sit directly next to brings her lunch each day. Now of course I don’t have a problem with her bringing in her lunch -- I pack mine every day -- but I have a problem with the smell of her lunch. I’m not sure what it is, but something that she brings turns me off. I can’t get used to it, and it has come to the point where the smell makes me nauseous and gives me a headache. I now take my lunch break outside of the office just to escape the smell. What do I do in this situation? I know it might just be me being sensitive, but I also don’t want to keep having to leave the office each time my team member eats her lunch! -- Dealing With a Smelly Lunch, Pittsburgh

DEAR DEALING WITH A SMELLY LUNCH: Why not speak to your co-worker? Tell her that you do not mean to be insensitive, but that there is an ingredient in her lunch that you think you are allergic to. Explain that whenever you smell it, you become ill. Admit that you leave the office at lunchtime because you keep getting sick. Ask her if she would help you to figure out what the ingredient is, and, if possible, not bring that to work anymore. There is a good chance that she has no idea that her lunch is bothering you. If you handle this discreetly, chances are she will try to accommodate your request.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was at the bar the other night, and I saw my brother’s girlfriend cheating on him with some other guy. My brother and I are extremely close, but I don’t know how to tell him. He is so in love with his girlfriend, and this will absolutely break his heart. I know she didn’t see me. I want to tell my brother, but I think it should come from her. Do you think I should confront her and tell her that I saw her? -- Concerned Sister, Denver

DEAR CONCERNED SISTER: Your allegiance is to your brother. As hurt as he may be to learn about his girlfriend’s behavior, he will be more devastated to learn that you witnessed her cheating and said nothing. Tell your brother what you saw -- with no embellishments. Tell him where you were and describe who she was with. Do not try to reach any conclusions. Just report what you saw. It will be up to him to decide his next steps. Be prepared, by the way, for him to stay with his girlfriend. Do not judge him if he makes a choice that is different from what you think you might make.

(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 can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I have become a serial binge watcher of random TV shows. It seems like all these new networks like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Roku -- you name it -- have different series that come on, and I get caught up in them. I will search around and find a show, and then discover myself asleep at the TV many hours later. I haven't been getting my housework done. Honestly, I haven't talked to my family recently. We all just do our separate things and don’t communicate much. I know this probably sounds stupid, but I can’t seem to stop. I come home, cook dinner, sit down and watch. What can I do to change this bad habit? -- Binge Watcher, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR BINGE WATCHER: Unfortunately, you are part of a trend. These TV series have become the new video games, in a way. Because you no longer have to wait a week to see the next episode of a show, it is tempting to watch all 6, 9, 12 or more in a season. Add to that the fact that many of these series come to these services after there are multiple seasons, and you have a recipe for disaster if you get hooked.

My solution: Don’t turn on the TV in the first place. Schedule time to spend with your family. Limit your TV hours when you do turn it on. Wean yourself off this time-sucking habit.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was invited to a party by a woman who is in one of my social clubs. It sounds like it will be a nice event. I assumed that she had invited other members of our club because she is friends with them as well, so I made the mistake of asking one of them if we could share a ride to the party. That’s when I realized she knew nothing of it. I feel bad now, and it’s a little awkward. I made it uncomfortable for both of them. Should I call the host and tell her and even ask her to invite the other friend? -- Foot in Mouth, Brooklyn, New York

DEAR FOOT IN MOUTH: You are adults. What you should do is nothing. It’s already obvious to the uninvited friend that she didn’t make the list. There’s nothing wrong with that. People are entitled to invite whomever they want to their parties. You would be making the host feel guilty by informing her. She knows that she didn’t invite your other friend. It wasn’t necessarily a snub; it was the host’s choice.

The only reason I would recommend that you inform the host is if the nature of the event would make it particularly awkward for her after the fact. Otherwise, let it be. In the future, do not talk to anyone about another person’s party without checking in with the host first.

(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.)