Jeanne Phillips
LATEST STORIES BY JEANNE PHILLIPS
DEAR ABBY: Daughter shows what she really thinks about house rules
DEAR ABBY: We asked our 19-year-old college daughter, “Lulu,” to dog-sit and housesit several months ago. She knew our rule of no visitors allowed in our home while we were out of town. Because of this, we didn’t feel we needed to prepare the house by filing mail and documents away prior to our short trip.

DEAR ABBY: Abusive husband may be starting to see the light
DEAR ABBY: I have been married 10 years. My husband is from another country, and the last six years haven’t been easy. I’ve been the sole provider for our family, on the advice of our lawyer, while we were getting his paperwork complete (my husband refused to work illegally). I have stood by this man through thick and thin and endured his verbal, emotional and even a little physical abuse, I’m ashamed to admit.

DEAR ABBY: Son and his wife don’t seem to want his mom in the picture
DEAR ABBY: I have a full-time job and am in pretty good health. I have one son, “Brian,” who is married and has three children. My problem is that my son is often rude to me. I was a single mom who raised him on my own. I thought I was a pretty good mother. His wife is super sensitive to any comment I make and finds fault with almost anything I do. They spend a lot of time with her family and exclude me.

DEAR ABBY: Mother-in law complicates birthday planning with demand
DEAR ABBY: My husband’s 50th birthday (we’re both men) is approaching, and I wanted to have a surprise party for him. His family, my family and the two of us all live in different states on the East Coast. I thought a compromise would be to have the party in New Jersey (halfway) on a Saturday. I even offered to rent an Airbnb for the weekend, understanding that travelling might be too much for some folks.

DEAR ABBY: Teenager endures harsh treatment from wicked stepmother
DEAR ABBY: My dear friend, “Sandra,” is married with two children. She and her husband have a 4-year-old son together and another son from her husband’s first marriage who is 14. The 14-year-old’s life is tough, much like Cinderella’s. Sandra treats him very badly. She has him doing all of the housework in their home, belittles him constantly and is very vocal about how much she dislikes him. Her 4-year-old can do no wrong.

DEAR ABBY: Stepmom's fashion finds are far from ready to wear
DEAR ABBY: My father’s wife, “Carole,” loves to thrift-shop. She enjoys hunting for a good deal, particularly if she can find things for our 5-year-old daughter, “Liana.” It’s sweet how excited she gets when she brings over a pile of new clothes.

DEAR ABBY: Outings with older sister reveal ominous signs
DEAR ABBY: My oldest sister has it in her head that since she’s home all week, she needs to go out every Sunday. She started calling me every Saturday to invite me to accompany her, which I did a few times. In doing so, I realized she has mobility issues and the beginnings of dementia. She wants to go to these certain places where we would always go. Other friends and family members used to accompany her, but no longer do for liability reasons. Hence the reason she turned to me. Apparently, she refuses to accept her limitations.
