Time for husband and kids to end pranks

Dear Abby: I tend to react poorly when someone pulls a prank on me. My reaction is usually anger, hurt or embarrassment, and I end up saying or doing things I later regret. My husband has always liked playing pranks, and my children have started to follow his lead. The pranks tend to be things like ice down the back of my shirt, bopping the end of a glass or bottle while drinking so it splashes in my face, snapping wet towels, etc. If I react, I am made out to be the “bad guy” because I “can’t take a joke.” I feel guilty about the latest incident because when my 10-year-old daughter bopped a drink in my face, I slapped her across the face. When I apologized, she said, “Dad does it all the time.” I never get an apology from the pranksters.

Unamused in Indiana Dear Unamused: Jokes at the expense of others can be funny, as long as everyone agrees that they’re funny. Because you have told your husband you not only don’t find his pranks amusing but find them hurtful, I can only conclude that his sense of humor is sadistic. Further, it has set a poor example for the children. I wonder how your husband would feel if you informed him after a hard day that his accountant had called saying he owes $25,000 in back taxes. (Ho, ho!) Or if you poured a pitcher of ice water on him at 2 a.m. Normally, I wouldn’t stoop to that level, but this may be an exception. Dear Abby: We are receiving some snide comments because of our daughter’s choice of college major. She’s majoring in dance. When people with college-age kids or grandkids find out, you can see it in their expression or hear it in their tone of voice. “Oh, really? Ummm, how nice.” Or worse, the condescending, “How ‘sweet.’ ” Our daughter has always been an honor student. Starting in high school she carried full loads of classes, extracurriculars, held jobs and was active in church. In college she has added dance company and sorority to her resume. I want these people to realize it takes guts to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer/choreographer and not major in something more conventional.

Dancer’s Mom in Texas Dear Dancer’s Mom: If you react to the comments in a positive way, they would give you the opening to smile and say how proud you are of your daughter’s choice to pursue her dreams, that her courage in pursuing a field as competitive as entertainment is more than “nice” and you admire her for it.

Write to Dear Abby at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 or www.DearAbby.com.

Universal Press Syndicate