Sibling rivalry a worry
Dear Annie: My children are grown and have wonderful families of their own, but my daughter is extremely jealous of her brother and his family.
My daughter moved to another state after she graduated college and lived with her father for a while before she married and had her two children. She lived there for almost 24 years before she came back to our hometown. My son and I were close because his dad and I were divorced for four years before I remarried and we only had each other. Even after he moved out and got married, we remained close.
Five years ago, my daughter divorced her husband, moved home and married a nice man here. But never in these five years has she had us down to her home for a meal, though we’ve had them over to our place many times. On the holidays we don’t host, we are all invited to my son’s, two hours away. My daughter complains because of the drive, yet she won’t have any of the holidays at her house.
When I talk about her brother, she gets upset, but I talk about her life and compliment her all the time.
When my mom was alive, there was never a day I didn’t talk to her. I wish I had this kind of relationship with my daughter. She refers to her brother as “the chosen child.”
I am 68 years old and don’t want to have my children hate each other after I’m gone. Moderator Mom
Dear Moderator: Your daughter is so attached to that chip on her shoulder she should give it a name. It’s possible she’s holding on to a lot of anger from her divorce. Regardless, she’s being unfair.
Continue to shower her with affection — but refuse to indulge the self-pitying remarks. Her attitude is no reflection on your love.
Dear Annie: I don’t know whether anyone else has this problem, but it grosses me out!
Once in a while when I get my mail from the mailbox, it has cockroaches mixed in. I have called the post office, but the people there say the roaches crawled into the mailbox by themselves. Any ideas? Grossed Out in Missouri
Dear Grossed Out: Unless you’ve subscribed to a “Bug of the Month” club, no, there’s nothing normal about finding cockroaches in the mailbox. Talk to other people on the block and see whether they’ve had the same problem. If they have, call the post office again, and ask your neighbours to do the same.
If it turns out you’re the only lucky one with this problem, you can sprinkle the ground surrounding your mailbox with diatomaceous earth or crushed bay leaves to deter pests. You might also want to spray the outside of the box itself with pesticide or a solution of mint essential oil and water — 25 drops of the oil per cup of water. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.