N EN E K IN G

TELLING SOMEONE THEY HAVE BAD BREATH CAN BE AWKWARD, BUT IT SHOULD BE DONE AS THEY MAY HAVE A MEDICAL ISSUE, SAYS NENE.

Q

My mother passed away last year, and left my brother and me a small amount of money. Shortly after that, a friend from interstate called me to ask to borrow money, as she said she didn’t have enough to meet her mortgage payments. I briefly considered lending her the money, but I decided against it as I didn’t want to affect our friendship. However, I still feel awkward about her asking me, especially as she splashed out on a new car not long after that and hasn’t mentioned any financial problems since. Should I ask her about it or just try to put it behind us? JENNA, VIA EMAIL.

A

Phew! Thank goodness you made the right decision. There is nothing to discuss. No point in mentioning her request. It was cheeky of her to ask for a loan. You are correct. It could affect your friendship. She may be put out that you didn’t agree to give her the money, but she had enough cash to splurge on a new car. A good friend would not put you in such an awkward position. Don’t even mention the money. Certainly put the request behind you.

Q

My brother is 33 and has been living with my parents since he came back from travelling in his late 20s. He is not paying any rent nor contributing to the bills, even though my parents aren’t too well off. Because it has gone on so long, they’re now too embarrassed to ask him to do so, even though he has a job. Should I have a word and tell him he needs to ‘man up’? DENISE, VIA EMAIL.

A

Definitely have a word with your brother. He has a job and is just being a freeloader. Your parents are not well off and he certainly needs to put his hand in his pocket to help them out. As your parents are too embarrassed to bring up the subject, it is up to you to have a quiet word with him to remind him of his responsibilities if he wants to live there. Your brother is earning money and it is only right and proper that he contribute to the rent and weekly expenses. He certainly is an irresponsible chappie for not offering to help financially before now.

Q

I’ve been dating a new man for a few weeks and it’s going great, but the only downside is he has terrible bad breath. It’s putting me off getting close to him. I’m wondering if he might have some kind of digestive problem, but I’m not sure how to bring up the topic. Any suggestions, Nene? RUBY, VIA EMAIL.

A

Bad breath can be a sign of a medical condition. The correct term is halitosis and there are many causes – food, tobacco products, poor dental hygiene, health problems, oral infections, dental problems or gum disease. It is a sensitive subject, but if you have known the man for a few weeks now, hopefully you are close enough to bring up the tricky topic. It’s a wonder he hasn’t picked up that you don’t want to get close to him yet. I would be mortified if I had constant bad breath and no-one told me about it. Let’s hope your new man is on the same page and can get his health sorted fast.