The Oklahoman

Angry daughter-inlaw may want more free babysittin­g

- Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com.

My daughterin-law is extremely jealous of the close relationsh­ip I have with my daughter. If I spend time with my daughter and grandson, she gets mad at me and keeps my grandchild­ren from me. I need advice on how to handle her. I get her children almost every weekend. I work a fulltime job, but she feels like I should have them more.

I don’t think your daughter-inlaw is jealous of the close relationsh­ip you have with your daughter. It may be that she wants more free baby-sitting service. You say you have her children almost every weekend. Remind her that working a full-time job and taking care of her children the amount of time you already do is as much as you can handle. There are only so many hours in a day, and you need time to rest if you’re going to go the distance. If she chooses to punish you for it, it is her children who will also suffer.

I live in a small town in Pennsylvan­ia, where I teach fifth grade and coach at the local school. I love my job and feel lucky to be teaching next door to my mentor. The problem is there’s another teacher and a student with whom I share the same name. I can’t help but feel discourage­d when colleagues and students refer to me as “Junior ( )” or “Fake ( )” and make jokes about it on a daily basis. I try to laugh it off, but it does get to me. I feel I should be respected because I am a profession­al. Is there a better way to handle this so it doesn’t negatively affect my day?

The people who do this may think they’re hilariousl­y funny, but when students do it, it is disrespect­ful. Remind your colleagues that you are an adult now, nothing about you is fake. Give yourself a new nickname. Do it with humor. If they slip up, keep reminding them. It will catch on.

I am in my 50s and disabled. I am also the full-time caregiver for my parents. I live with them because they are also disabled and need my help.

An old friend has moved back to the area. I care very much for her, but I’m afraid I have nothing to offer her because I don’t have my own place or make a lot being on Social Security. I’m hesitant to get close to her because all I have is the way I feel about her. Advice? You should be honest. The way you feel about this woman could be enough for her. Whether you have anything to offer is something SHE should be allowed to decide rather than you doing it for her.

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

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