| Subject | Date Asked |
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| My Partner's father | 11/11/2009 |
Q: I am partnered with an Italian man and recently I had an argument with his father, who said total ...
A: Annette, You are probably right, he isn't the one for you. For some reason you have known that this ...
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| Frustration | 11/5/2009 |
Q: My husband comes from a close, large family, while i do not. Not that we aren't close, we just ...
A: You must have known that you were marrying a mommas boy when you first with this guy. If you did and ...
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| sister in law | 10/31/2009 |
Q: My husband and I got married 16 years ago. We have a 18 year old and 14 year old daughter. THe ...
A: Leah, This sounds a bit extreme. I suggest your focus be on getting custody of your daughter back. ...
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| What's best for my unborn child? | 10/12/2009 |
Q: My husband and I have been together for 10 years now, and I have just found out that I'm pregnant. ...
A: Ketherine, I don't think it is unreasonable to see if these people have changed. They may want ...
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| In-laws/ Relationship | 10/4/2009 |
Q: I wanted some guidance so I can finally take an important decision in my life... I am 27 yrs old, I ...
A: Edith, This relationship probably won't last and it probably shouldn't. You are being disrespected ...
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| Father-in-law problems | 9/1/2009 |
Q: My future father-in-law is offended that my fiance proposed without discussing it with him first, ...
A: Kerri, If you are going to let this irritated man hurt you then you shouldn't be getting married. ...
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| what do I do? | 6/30/2009 |
Q: I have been with my fiance for 4 years now, we are very in love, but his mother and sister are ...
A: Tracy, I'm not sure there is much you can do. If your boyfriend has known this for 4 years and done ...
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| sister-in-law's wedding | 6/26/2009 |
Q: My husband's sister is planning a wedding for October and no one was excited for her or helping. My ...
A: Charlie, When you help another or try to do the right thing don't expect others to assist you. That ...
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| Mother wants to holiday with us | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I'm having a bit of a dilemma with my mother and my husband. The background story is that months ...
A: Kamila, What's more important your fathers life or loss of a holiday? The answer seems obvious to ...
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| Bad Influence. | 6/21/2009 |
Q: Growing up my husband as always looked up to his big brother. As they got older my husband would ...
A: Amber, You chose this man knowing the influence his brother had on him. Yet, you still decided to ...
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| Fiance's Sister in Law | 5/25/2009 |
Q: I am writing to get an unbiased opinion. My fiancee's sister in law has been a real problem ever ...
A: Michele, First recognize the you are WILLINGLY marrying into the family. So any complaints you have ...
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| my in laws are emotionally blackmailing my partner to seperate | 4/17/2009 |
Q: I am American, my husband is greek and 15 years my junior. We have been together 15 years, 9 ...
A: Valarie, It sounds like you have been supporting him. I would suggest moving there or being there as ...
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| Brother in law made rude comment about my son and I | 4/8/2009 |
Q: My fiancee and I have a three month old baby boy. He's happy, healthy and a joy to have. We are ...
A: Steph, You either need to learn to tolerate people when you are around them or simply don't get ...
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| How much is enough time with inlaws? | 3/23/2009 |
Q: I’ve been with my partner (we’ve never married) for 8 years. I get along with his parents and we ...
A: Karen, Going for 8 days is PERFECTLY reasonable. My answer would be different if you were married. ...
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| Try, try, done trying | 3/22/2009 |
Q: My fiance's parents are not the most friendly people. From the beginning of the relationship they ...
A: Clary, If you are going to let this woman effect you in this way maybe you shouldn't be getting ...
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| grandmother-in -law | 3/20/2009 |
Q: My husband and I have been together for 5 years, married 2. My problem (and this is totally MY ...
A: Adriene, I would agree you are in a difficult situation. I don't think you should leave. What I do ...
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| Hostage in my marriage... | 3/13/2009 |
Q: For three years now, my life is in turmoil - in 2006 we went visit my inlaws, (I have known my hus 9 ...
A: Marian, You should be doing marriage counseling with him not just individual counseling with ...
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| my mother-in-law | 3/9/2009 |
Q: Me and my husband ave been married for a little over a year and we recently had a son whom is now 4 ...
A: Victoria, Your husband needs to set up some boundaries for your family. This will protect you and ...
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| in-laws cause break up | 2/19/2009 |
Q: I was dating my boyfriend for almost 7 years. He comes from a family of haters-by that, I mean that ...
A: Suzanne, Please don't try to convince yourself that what you have with him is love. If after 7 years ...
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| His sister manipulates our lives | 2/10/2009 |
Q: My boyfriend of a year and I have grown very close and we are thinking about marriage. We are both ...
A: Jenny, If you marry this guy you NEED to understand you will be marrying this family. He may say he ...
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| I need Help with my in law family. | 2/3/2009 |
Q: My future husband and I were recently in a horrific car accident 6 hours from where we lived, which ...
A: Dia, Now clearly remember PLEASE this is the family you are choosing to marry into and you are not ...
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| sister inlaw vrs wife/mother over nephew | 1/26/2009 |
Q: answer my question. At the moment this particular question is keeping me from sleep. I have a ...
A: Chay, Your husband is weak. He is willing to bow to pressure rather than protect his child. You ...
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| Mother in Law | 1/24/2009 |
Q: I am completely in love with my fiance. His mother lives on an Island outside the U.S. He is very ...
A: AJ, The reason that I think it will change is because what I often hear in my counseling practice is ...
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| Mother in Law | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I am completely in love with my fiance. His mother lives on an Island outside the U.S. He is very ...
A: AJ, OK now PLEASE set aside your emotions for a moment and deal in reality. Your BF obviously values ...
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| Grandpa acts as a woman in my house | 1/7/2009 |
Q: I have been living with my partner whom has 7 year old son and a father for 1 year. My partner's ...
A: Cat, You are an adult obviously as is your partner. He is choosing to stay so he must not think it ...
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| Sister-in-law placing blame | 12/31/2008 |
Q: I'm just going to get to the point with this. My husband and his brother don't get along and ...
A: Jennifer, From your description of these people saying something back would not have solved ...
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| family issues | 12/30/2008 |
Q: This problem began way back in the early nineties and still is lingering today. My brother owes ...
A: Carol, I think it is perfectly reasonable to approach the cousin or the person in question and make ...
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| relationship with brother-in-law going downhill | 12/16/2008 |
Q: Warning Beforehand that this might get long. My sister has been with the same guy for 5 years now, ...
A: Amy, Maybe you guys were too close. Some space probably would be helpful. He sounds like an ...
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| Suddenly difficult relationship with FIL | 12/12/2008 |
Q: The bare question is what are my obligations as a daughter in law through the holidays? The ...
A: Rose, I would suggest that your FIL has issues that have nothing to do with you. You tend to be the ...
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| Relationship | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I'm nineteen years old and I've been dating this guy who is thiry years old. When I met him I ...
A: Katrina, UMMM....hello he is 30 and his mommy evicted him and his mommy is going to cut him off???? ...
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| Suddenly difficult relationship with FIL | 12/7/2008 |
Q: The bare question is what are my obligations as a daughter in law through the holidays? The ...
A: Rose, This sounds difficult. This is something you need to get figured out with your husband. You ...
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| Why am I not considered family? | 12/6/2008 |
Q: Luckily for me I get along great with the my mother-in-law. We aren't super close but she isn't the ...
A: Julie, I was thinking as I read through this....Do you have husband that loves you? Do you have a ...
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| Parent refuses to share holidays with ex-husband of 40 years | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I will be as brief as possible. My parents: get divorced after 40 years. He leaves, moves out, dates ...
A: Lee, I would suggest that you simply invite both over to the house for a Christmas getogether. You ...
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| need advice | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I have been with my husband for 11 years. The entire time we have lived with his parents, his ...
A: April, Divorce is not going to make things better for you. What WOULD make things better is moving ...
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| dominating mother-in-law | 11/27/2008 |
Q: Iam 31 years with a 5 year old son.My husband is the only son and he has 2 sisters who are well ...
A: Ruchika, You need to seek out some counseling with your husband. If you married a weak man then it ...
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| relationships, inlaws | 11/26/2008 |
Q: My boyfriend of 3 years asked me to get engaged several weeks ago. He wanted to buy me a ring that ...
A: Mackie, You are of course being cautious. If he is still at his age unwilling to deny this girl ...
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| In laws with no respect for personal boundaries | 11/25/2008 |
Q: I'm having a hard time coping with my in laws. My husband had a difficult childhood with his mother ...
A: Kelly, They seem to be making every attempt to honor you in whatever way they see as appropriate. ...
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| every vacation with inlaws | 11/20/2008 |
Q: My husband is Mexican(29yrs.) and has lived in the U.S. since 1996 I am white american(25yrs.). We ...
A: Dianne, This is your life. The unfortunate thing is that this behavior started a long time ago and ...
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| Jealous sister in law? | 11/19/2008 |
Q: My fiance has a sister who is very close to him. I have been friends with her successfully in the ...
A: B. Ok you need to MAKE SURE that this is a relationship you want to continue. I anticipate that just ...
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| inlaw gone crazy | 11/16/2008 |
Q: .. and i have tryed talking to her but all she did was insult me and call my an idiot and then she ...
A: He will always be connected to his mother no matter how far you move. What if his mother becomes ...
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| inlaw gone crazy | 11/2/2008 |
Q: .. and i have tryed talking to her but all she did was insult me and call my an idiot and then she ...
A: Cassie, This doesn't sound like a rational woman. I can't imagine her religion teaches this kind of ...
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| Mother-in-law in financial crisis | 10/29/2008 |
Q: My mother-in-law lost her job almost two years ago. She does have health concerns, but was working ...
A: Amanda, I have no idea what kind of social services there are in your community, but I would ...
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| In-Laws | 10/20/2008 |
Q: any insight or advise would be appreciated. My wife has been bickering with my sister for almost a ...
A: Sean, It sounds as if your wife is too prideful and not willing to be humble. If truly your wife is ...
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| Mother-In-Law | 10/16/2008 |
Q: My mother-in-law 67 years old and healthy has moved in with my husband and me. She had lived with ...
A: Jeanne, I suggest you husband deal with this. His mother may have some mental issues that you both ...
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| I don't fit in. | 10/6/2008 |
Q: My husband family are Portuguese. I do not speak the language and since the beginning I feel very ...
A: Emilie, There are a few different ways you can handle this. You can choose to remain miserable. If ...
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| Fiances mother is controlling and irrational | 9/17/2008 |
Q: I’m sorry for the length of this, but I think you need a full background to know where I am coming ...
A: Tash, WOW....I seriously can't believe you are going to marry into this family. If you think things ...
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| Inlaw coming to live with us | 8/21/2008 |
Q: Last night I found out that my Sister In Law may come to live with us and I am feeling resentful. ...
A: Laura, I don't believe that you have any long-term obligation to your SIL. Your focus and your ...
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| Need help coping with sister in laws | 8/13/2008 |
Q: My husband and I have been married for almost 10 years, we have two young daughters. My husband has ...
A: Christina, These women are not ones with whom you should waste any energy. I would suggest you ...
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| alcoholic father in law | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I married my husband about ten months ago. I am about four months pregnant. He is 30 and I am 28. I ...
A: Nikki, I think he is scared and when things get unsettling for him he runs home to where he feels ...
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| Inlaw problems | 7/18/2008 |
Q: When I met my husband 5 years ago, he just broke up with his girlfriend. He was in this relationship ...
A: Danica, Stop the drama. You married a mamas boy and he is going to come to his mom's defense. I ...
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| sister in laws dressing | 7/2/2008 |
Q: My sister in law is 22 yrs. old,for the past four years since the birth of her son she has been ...
A: Laura, You have two choices. You limit contact or you say something to her. If you choose to say ...
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| Rude sister-in-law | 6/27/2008 |
Q: A little about myself -- I'm a wife and mother of 3 kids. I have an 11 year old, a 7 year old and a ...
A: Tess, It would make sense to write a letter, but I would suggest it be to both not just one. If you ...
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| In-law Troubles, considering divorce | 4/15/2008 |
Q: I am miserable. Not sure if you can help. I have been with my husband for almost 10 years now. We ...
A: Kimberly, So leave out the fact that his sister is flake. You have a husband that is trying to do ...
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| In-laws | 3/25/2008 |
Q: I have been married to my wife now for 2 years. We have a 1.5 year old son. The problem lies with ...
A: Barry, The problem is you knew all this going into the marriage and still decided to marry this ...
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| Father in law problems | 3/18/2008 |
Q: Before I got married (3 months ago) while talking about finances with my now husband he promised me ...
A: Samantha, Is you marriage already that unstable that simply talking to your husband about your ...
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| My Mother and My Wife | 3/15/2008 |
Q: I just got recently married after dating my wife for about 3 years. i come from a place where ...
A: Shady, You are a married man. As such your obligation is to your wife not your mother or the family ...
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| Silly in laws. | 2/12/2008 |
Q: Over the years these are some of the things my MIL has done.. - When we used to visit as boyfriend ...
A: Rita, You have had great patience. Your children will benefit from this. What you describe if the ...
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| Sister in law trouble | 1/24/2008 |
Q: My sister in law has always had a problem with me, and now I'm worried she's going to wreck my ...
A: Rob, It seems you have a few options. You could move, you could keep your lives busy so there is no ...
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| MIL Boundary Issues | 1/20/2008 |
Q: While our 2 children were still infants, my wife arranged for the MIL to fly in to take care of them ...
A: Greg, You can't change her and any attempt to do so will result in a negative experience for you and ...
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| Father-in-law wants to involve our descision making | 1/14/2008 |
Q: I'm from Asia anf my husband is an American. I've been married with my husband for 3 years and 8 ...
A: Cat, If your husband wants to be married to you FIl and make decisions with him then maybe you need ...
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| future sister in law psyco! | 12/22/2007 |
Q: after reading some of the other questions, I hope you can help me. I am an american female, and my ...
A: Sandra, She may have a certain bias against you. She may be resentful that her brother married a ...
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| in laws leaving junk behind | 12/12/2007 |
Q: Whenever my in-laws visit, the collect junk from their garage, bring it to our house and try to push ...
A: Tamara, Them giving you "gifts" is actually them showing you that they value and honor you. I would ...
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| psycho mother-in-law | 12/10/2007 |
Q: I am a new mother at 43..my daughter is now 8 months old and is my biggest joy in life ever. Her ...
A: Amy, Ok first you may not be, but you sound fairly ungrateful to the MIL. She also may have some ...
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| In-laws driving me crazy | 12/4/2007 |
Q: Not too long ago I got married and everything is going very well, except for my new in-laws. There ...
A: Kim, They will not change. You need to sit with your husband and directly tell him how much he ...
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| Mother-in-law issues, ailing mother in law | 11/27/2007 |
Q: I have a couple of issues to ask you about. First of all here is a little background on me and my ...
A: Gary, The biggest issue i see for you is that you married a woman that will not be satisfied with ...
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| daughter-in-law and family | 11/13/2007 |
Q: My future daughter-in-law is not the girl I thought he would have picked (very organized, ...
A: Maggie, First...STOP gossiping with your daughter and whoever else about your future DIL and ...
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| Fiance visits inlaws too often | 11/9/2007 |
Q: My fiance is too attached to his family that he see's them more often then he see's me. He skips my ...
A: Tequila, Is this what you think of when you think of your ideal life. Do you want to be married to ...
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| In-Law Problems | 10/30/2007 |
Q: I have been married to Richie for almost 5 years. I have always been really close with his Mother ...
A: Amy, It doesn't' sound like physically your husband can stand up to them. I would encourage you to ...
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| sister-in-law problems | 10/26/2007 |
Q: My sister-in-law has been married for over 5 years and the speculation is that she and her husband ...
A: Lisa, Hold on a minute lets get rational. This is NOT evil. Let me get this straight you have two ...
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| father in law | 10/22/2007 |
Q: My father-in-law and I got into a HUGE argument about 2 1/2 months ago. I have been married to my ...
A: JM, I thought you had apologized already. So I guess it depends on what kind of relationship you ...
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| I don't want to feel responsible for my in-law's future!!!!! | 10/18/2007 |
Q: My wife and I are 1st Generation Chinese (Taiwanese) American. Essentially my wife feels that she's ...
A: Dong, I would suggest that your inlaws are relatively young. As such they should not be sponging off ...
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| Living with Girlfriend's Mother | 10/17/2007 |
Q: Wow am I in a bind, and obviously I don't know what to do which is why I'm reaching out for some ...
A: Marc, Thank you for more info it was helpful in letting me think more about this. There are two ...
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| Living with Girlfriend's Mother | 10/15/2007 |
Q: Wow am I in a bind, and obviously I don't know what to do which is why I'm reaching out for some ...
A: Marc, This is the reason I tell people who are not willing to commit to marriage to not live ...
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