Jeanne Phillips

LATEST STORIES BY JEANNE PHILLIPS

DEAR ABBY: Obligations as caregivers have put strain on marriage

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been taking care of my father-in-law for four years — getting his groceries, going to the bank, picking up prescriptions and doing different tasks. He’s disabled and lives in an upstairs apartment with no access to getting downstairs. He can’t walk, bathe himself or get in and out of bed by himself. He has hired a nurse to get him in and out of bed every day. Because we live 30 minutes away and we both work, there is no way we can manage this.

with Video

November 16, 2024 Relationships

A couple is feeling burnout from caring for elderly parents.

DEAR ABBY: Dad frustrated that daughter refuses to see the truth

DEAR ABBY: My daughter, “Virginia,” age 27, lives with her boyfriend, “Ray,” on the East Coast and teaches kindergarten. Last month, she confided that she had caught him cheating. She saw texts on his phone. When she confronted him, Ray immediately confessed and was very apologetic, but he also kept the woman’s number in his phone.

with Video

November 15, 2024 Relationships

A father disapproves of his daughter's boyfriend.

DEAR ABBY: Husband is quick to dismiss wife's opinions about home

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have three grown children, all of whom still live at home. I had always thought that once they graduated from college and got good jobs, they should start paying rent. Because my husband had to pay rent when he still lived at home, he said he would never do that to his kids.

with Video

November 14, 2024 Relationships

A husband and wife disagree on how to deal with an adult child who lives rent-free at home.

DEAR ABBY: A brief thank-you note has an outsized impact

DEAR ABBY: Some time ago, you printed a letter from a grandmother who said she was changing her will because neither her adult children nor her grandchildren ever wrote her thank-you notes when she sent a gift. I had taught my son the importance of writing thank-you notes, but he wasn’t doing a very good job of completing the process. I cut out the letter from your column and sent it to him.

with Video

November 13, 2024 Relationships

A reader thanks Abby for reminding others about the importance of thank-you notes.

DEAR ABBY: Relationship born in rehab must endure long-distance

DEAR ABBY: I got out of rehab two months ago. While I was there, I met someone. “Annie” lives in Florida, and I live in California. We both are doing great, and I believe we make each other stronger.

with Video

November 12, 2024 Relationships

A man wonders if a long-distance relationship will work.

DEAR ABBY: Wife tired of being the only one to make plans

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 17 years to a good man with many great attributes. However, our relationship lacks connection. Every effort at emotional connection is initiated by me (like planning date nights or going out for a walk to have a conversation). I have told him many times I need him to make an effort to initiate. He always agrees, but never follows through.

with Video

November 11, 2024 Relationships

A wife would like her husband to take charge and plan an activity.

DEAR ABBY: Stepdaughter's spoiled behaviour has worn thin

DEAR ABBY: I’m in my early 30s; my husband is 46. We have been married three years. He has a 24-year-old daughter, “Kiki.” Kiki has always been spoiled and catered to; she learned how to lie and manipulate during her childhood.

with Video

November 10, 2024 Relationships

A woman doesn't want her husband to financially support her manipulative stepdaughter.

DEAR ABBY: Family's 'doer' is tired of always helping stepmom

DEAR ABBY: I am a 37-year-old woman who seems to be the go-to person in my family to figure things out. Due to my stepmom not feeling comfortable enough with her English and my striving to win her approval, I made sure to take care of the things she couldn’t from an early age. The problem is, while I used to be proud of myself for always being able to figure things out, I no longer feel that way.

with Video

November 9, 2024 Relationships

A woman is tired of always being the person to help her stepmom.

DEAR ABBY: Bitter feelings for mean teacher persist decades later

DEAR ABBY: My elementary school teacher passed away recently. I hadn’t seen her in more than 20 years because of how she made me feel. I remember her as manipulative and having a negative attitude toward the less fortunate. Because I didn’t come from a rich or prominent family, I was subjected to humiliation, fear and intimidation. I remember her as money-driven, judgmental and favouring the privileged, who she believed to be smarter.

with Video

November 8, 2024 Relationships

A bad teacher has left her former student feeling scarred.

DEAR ABBY: Friend's drunk dials are too much to handle

DEAR ABBY: I have been friends with a couple for 30 years. Both are alcoholics. They function, work at farmers’ markets, are sociable, have a house and pay their bills. Yet, at least once, maybe twice a month, they get totally wasted and the wife calls me and rambles on incoherently. I suspect they get drunk even more frequently, but, thankfully, I don’t get a call every time they are on a binge.

with Video

November 7, 2024 Relationships

An alcoholic has a tendency to call her friend when she is drunk.

Jeanne Phillips

LATEST STORIES BY JEANNE PHILLIPS

DEAR ABBY: Obligations as caregivers have put strain on marriage

DEAR ABBY: Dad frustrated that daughter refuses to see the truth

DEAR ABBY: Husband is quick to dismiss wife's opinions about home

DEAR ABBY: A brief thank-you note has an outsized impact

DEAR ABBY: Relationship born in rehab must endure long-distance

DEAR ABBY: Wife tired of being the only one to make plans

DEAR ABBY: Stepdaughter's spoiled behaviour has worn thin

DEAR ABBY: Family's 'doer' is tired of always helping stepmom

DEAR ABBY: Bitter feelings for mean teacher persist decades later

DEAR ABBY: Friend's drunk dials are too much to handle

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