Estranged dad is now angling for an intro

DEAR AMY » My estranged father, who lives hundreds of miles away, has been in and out of my life for most of my life.

My mother detests him, for very good reason. They have a terrible past.

He has made some effort — not great, but some — to be more involved in my life since I was 19 years old.

I am now 37, married, and with three kiddos of my own.

I talk to my father two or three times a year on the phone. Really, it is just small talk, but the hard part is that now he wants to meet my kids.

I am not trying to hurt him and certainly never want to hurt my mother, who raised me.

I feel I am supposed to hate him for how crappy he was to me and my mother, but it is just not in me to be that way.

My mother and stepfather, who raised me, would be so hurt if I allowed him to meet my family.

The reality is that my children do not even know who he is. They don’t know that he exists.

I am also not even sold on the idea that he should be able to meet my kids.

Is it worth the risk of hurting my wonderful mom and stepdad, or should I just tell him it isn’t in cards.

If so, how do I say something like this?

— Broken Home Woes DEAR BROKEN HOME » Anyone can ask you for anything. But your father’s request does not necessitate that you grant his wish.

You could say to him, “Umm, Dad, honestly, I’m not ready to open up my family to you. I’ll let you know if I change my mind, but for now — no.”

Do your mother and stepfather know that you are in touch with him? Being transparent about this might help you all to get on the same page. Tell them, “You two raised me. You are my kids’ grandparents. You are my family. But dad calls me two or three times a year, and I want you to know that he has been in touch. I worry that you will think I’m being disloyal by being in touch, but that is not my intention.”

You are not “supposed” to hate your father — or anyone. If your mother and stepfather imply or impose this requirement, then they are not parenting you well.

You ARE supposed to be loyal and protective toward your mother and stepfather, and your own children. Having a troublesome, crappy or toxic father dancing on the wing means that you will occasionally have to make some tough choices. When your kids are older, you should tell your own childhood story. They will learn that most families are complicated, and that you will always lean toward the people who love you the best.

DEAR AMY » Late winter ushers in the major cat breeding season, which will cause shelters and rescue groups to be slammed with an avalanche of unwanted kittens in a few months. The dog overpopulation in southern states is still out of control.

Shelters and rescues in the South work hard to promote pet adoption transports (primarily open for dogs only) to states where they have a better handle on the dog overpopulation, and these groups fund an increasing number of low-cost spay/ neuter clinics. Millions of dollars are being spent on these efforts, along with a massive amount of time donated by volunteers.

But pet overpopulation continues because the number of unwanted pets being born is not controlled by shelters, rescues, their volunteers and donors — but rather by irresponsible pet owners, who allow their pets to breed unwanted litters.

These irresponsible people help to create the resultant tragedy of too many pets, and too few homes.

I hope you will use your platform to remind animal lovers to spay/neuter their four-legged family members.

— Oklahoma Animal Advocate

DEAR ADVOCATE » I’m happy to help you spread the word about the importance of spay/neutering the animals in our households.

DEAR AMY » “It’s My Life” was a 15-year-old girl embroiled in a custody dispute between her parents. She wanted to switch primary custody from her mother to her father. I appreciated your nuanced response to her.

When I was her age, I chose to make the same choice. My mother let me go live with my dad. Within six months, I had bounced back.

— Older and Wiser DEAR WISER » Experience is often the best teacher.

DEAR AMY » Recently, we hosted a couple as weekend guests. The wife and my wife were friends in college.

I picked them up at the airport on Friday afternoon and brought them to our house, showed them to the guest room, and we

all sat down to the dinner that my wife had prepared.

On Saturday, after breakfast they spent the day with some friends of theirs, and returned to our house for another homecooked meal.

On Sunday, our guests suggested that we go to a nice restaurant for dinner, which we did. During dinner they ordered and drank a $40 bottle of wine. My wife and I don’t drink.

When the waiter placed the check on the table, nobody moved for a few seconds. I thought, “Does he expect me to pick that up?” Finally, he said, “Hey, buddy, whaddaya say we split the check?”

I wanted to say, “No, I don’t want to split the check. I want you to pay for all the food, the wine, the tip, and the tax,” but not wanting to make a scene, I mumbled, “OK.”

On Monday, we drove them back to the airport. They thanked us for the weekend, but never sent an email or a thank you note.

My question is: What are roles and responsibilities of houseguests and hosts?

— Disgruntled Host DEAR DISGRUNTLED » A good houseguest brings a small gift to present to the host upon their arrival. They express interest in their surroundings and enthusiasm for any plans the host has made.

A good houseguest will be tidy, quiet, and respectful of the hosts’ household schedule.

Yes, they should take the host out for a meal or an outing during their stay and offer to pick up the check.

They should leave their sleeping area tidy (offering to strip the bed), thank the host warmly before they leave, and follow up with a note and/or an enthusiastic phone call when they return home.

That’s how guests behave when they want to be invited back (your houseguests quite obviously don’t).

You said that you didn’t want to make a scene at the restaurant, but stating your own needs, plainly and politely, doesn’t qualify as making a scene. At the very least, you could have responded: “How about you pay for your bottle of wine, and we’ll split the cost of the food bill, buddy.”

DEAR AMY » I was offended by the letter from “Embarrassed,” as well as your response.

Embarrassed has a father who is expressing his own views on social media. There is nothing wrong with that! He has the right to express himself however he wants!

— Upset

DEAR UPSET » According to “Embarrassed,” Dad was insulting and offending people who attempted to respond to his rants. One consequence of that behavior is that others would be both insulted and embarrassed by it.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@ amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy,