Archives

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I are going on our eighth year of marriage. Last year, we experienced indiscretion for the first time -- to my knowledge, anyway. And as you can imagine, it was hard on ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Whenever I share a conflict, dilemma or even something I’m skilled at with a particular friend of mine, I’ve noticed that she responds by overexplaining it back to me -- often as if I ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend and I have been talking for a month now about booking a summer vacation together to Greece. I recently brought it up again, and she said that she can’t go anymore because she... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a Caribbean American; both of my parents have backgrounds in the West Indies. Although my mother was born in America, her Caribbean culture was influential to my upbringing and fo... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, but I don’t like to buy into it. Expectations seem ridiculously high for this manufactured holiday.... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently took out loans so I could go on a vacation. I know that sounds financially irresponsible, but I hadn’t gone anywhere in 10 years. I work paycheck to paycheck, and I needed a... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I met this lovely guy ... or so I thought. We met at a group gathering with mutual friends, and by the end of the night, the two of us were tucked away in our own corner. That same nig... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am 40 years old, and I haven’t been able to find a job in a year. I have had to move back in with my parents, and it’s been a difficult time. I used to work for a good company; I had... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My girlfriend and I have been together for about two years now, and we have decided that we are ready for unprotected sex. With this decision came the discussion of birth control, whic... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 9-year-old daughter has dyslexia; it has been difficult for her academically. Every night, she cries when she has to do her reading homework because she keeps getting words mixed up... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mother passed away earlier this year, and I’m still sad. She lived as long as she could with a smile on her face most times. I recently looked at photos of her over the past couple ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A friend of mine constantly preaches to us about the importance of showing support to each other through good times, bad times, startup businesses, financial hardship, graduations, mil... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: How long do you stay in a relationship when it doesn’t seem to be healthy? I’ve been with my boyfriend for nine years. At first it was great, though he has always been moody. Now his m... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went on a wonderful date last week. I encouraged myself to go to a networking event alone and ended up meeting an intriguing gentleman. We both decided to show up for ourselves, and ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son moved away a couple of months ago. At the time, he told me that he was able to transfer his job, which would make the move that much more seamless. Last week, he called me to te... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A close friend has expressed romantic interest in me. We’ve been in the same friend group for about eight years now. In recent years, I had suspected there was a bit of chemistry betwe... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m a wife and mom, and I work full-time, which means my days are busy from the moment I wake up until I close my eyes at night. With getting my kids ready in the morning, working all ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: About a year ago, I met a man at work, and he introduced himself to me by telling me how beautiful I am and how much he admires me. In less than a month, I was his girlfriend. We are s... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, my daughter asked me to tell her more about my early life. Over the years, I’ve made a point not to talk much about it, but now that she’s older and asking, I think it’s OK t... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 14-year-old daughter’s best friend gets jealous of my daughter when she spends time with other friends, even though her best friend has other friends as well. If my daughter hangs o... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I want to go to trade school, but my parents don’t approve. They want me to enroll full-time at a traditional four-year college, but that’s not what I want to do. My parents worry that... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I live in a nice apartment building in Los Angeles, and it costs a lot of money to live here. Since I pay such a premium, you would think that my neighbors would all be respectful. How... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son told me that he's in need of a laptop, as his old one broke down on him. I asked what was keeping him from getting a new one, and he shared that he didn’t want to overspend with... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I became a dad at a young age. I had my first daughter at 18 and my second when I was 22. When their mom and I broke up, the three of them moved out of state, so I've been a long-dista... more

DEAR READERSHARRIETTE: For years, I used food as a coping mechanism. Whenever I was sad, stressed or heartbroken, I would overeat. I worked hard to break that habit, and I’m proud to say I have a much... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I think my wife is having bladder issues, but I imagine that may be a sensitive topic, so I’m not sure how to bring it up. Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed a change in how freque... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Last year, I helped my close friend through a tough time when she was struggling financially and feeling lonely, but now that she’s in a better situation, she has completely stopped ta... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a mountain of debt, and no matter how optimistic I am, I don’t see a way out. Work is virtually nonexistent, and it has been this way for more than a year. I have cut back on al... more