Jeanne Phillips

Dear Abby: My brother and his wife recently had their second child through induced labor. On the delivery day, my mother asked what she could do to help. My brother asked her to go to his home, which is an hour away, sweep and vacuum the house, change the sheets and do the laundry because they didn’t have time.

I feel it was extremely inappropriate. Picking up diapers and making sure the bassinet has clean sheets are acceptable requests; cleaning the house is not. My mother wasn’t bothered by it, but I am appalled. Am I wrong? — Stuck in the Middle

Dear Stuck: You are entitled to your feelings. However, because your mother wasn’t bothered by your brother’s request, my advice is to stay out of it because it was none of your business. Please don’t stir the pot more than you already may have because the person who will suffer for it is you.

Dear Abby

Dear Abby: My son volunteers as a chaperone for his daughters’ elementary school field trips. Each parent volunteer is assigned five or six children.

Before they board the bus, my son gathers his group and tells them they

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.