Dear Queenie,
My husband never says “no” to our children or corrects them when they do something wrong. He says I’m bad for expecting them to behave themselves and treat us with respect, and for scolding them and even punishing them when they don’t.
Queenie, who is right here?—Strict mother
Dear Mother,
You are.
It is both parents’ job to teach their children right from wrong, and your husband should be backing you up in doing so, not trying to undermine your efforts. But you should be careful not to be overly strict with your children, as this might lead them to rebel as they grow older.
Dear Queenie,
My hair is long, almost down to my waist, and I like it that way, but some people I know keep telling me I should cut it short and donate the cut-off hair to one of those charities that make wigs or hair-pieces for people who have lost their hair from cancer.
I donate money to these charities, but I don’t want to cut my hair.
Queenie, am I being selfish like they keep telling me?—Rapunzel
Dear Rapunzel,
Not at all. Just tell these people, “I support these charities in other ways,” and change the subject.
Dear Queenie,
My mother has a habit of walking around the house in just her underwear, even when I have friends visiting me.
Queenie, this isn’t a problem nowadays, because my friends don’t drop in because of the pandemic restrictions, but what do I do when things get better?—Embarrassed son
Dear Son,
Your mother seems to be desperate for attention, no matter from whom. You can talk to her about it, but she may not change, so when things get better and you and your friends can get together again, meet with them at someone else’s house.
Dear Queenie,
I have a school-age daughter and before all this COVID-19 business several of her friends in the neighborhood used to come over to our house to play and they would stay for lunch or dinner and it was starting to get expensive paying for all that food.
Queenie, what can I do when things get back to normal?—Not-rich mother
Dear Mother,
When things get back to normal, have a friendly talk with these children’s parents. If they cannot or will not help pay for the food their children consume, send the kids home at mealtime.
Dear Queenie,
My best friend is someone I met while going to university. We were both foreign students, but from different countries. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic we are both stuck at home in our own countries and I’m afraid our friendship is over.
Queenie, what do you think?—Worried friend
Dear Friend,
There is such a thing as a long-distance friendship, and these days the distance is not so long, what with phones and computers. You can still keep in touch with your friend that way, and some long-distance friendships have lasted for many years, even whole lifetimes.
