Dear Queenie,

My teenage son is going out with a girl who threatens to hurt herself if he doesn’t do what she wants, like answer his calls right away. She even sent him a picture of herself holding her father’s gun pointed at her head.

I called the girl’s mother to tell her about all this, but she just thought I was saying she is a bad mother.

Queenie, what should I do about all this?—Worried mother

Dear Mother,

You, or even a professional counsellor, should explain to your son what emotional blackmail is and how it should be dealt with.

This girl apparently has serious emotional problems that your son is not able to deal with. He should break up with her to protect himself, and hope her mother will then get her the professional help she badly needs.

Dear Queenie,

My ex-boyfriend has been my best friend for eight years now. Recently, he entered into a relationship with a girl who looks and acts just like me. Since then, things have been different between us.

Queenie, what do I have to offer him in terms of friendship now that he has found a perfect substitute?—Ex-girlfriend

Dear Ex-girlfriend,

Things often change between friends when one of them enters a new romantic relationship. You will have to ask your ex that question, or just wait and see what happens between him and his new girlfriend, and between the two of you.

Dear Queenie,

My older sister has a habit of making fun of my clothes and hair styles when I go to visit her. She says they are cheap and ugly.

Queenie, this really makes me feel bad. Should I just stop going to see her?—Annoyed kid sister

Dear Kid Sister,

Have you told your sister how you feel about the things she says? She may not realise how bad she makes you feel.

If talking to her about it helps, all well and good. If not, then yes, try to limit the amount of time you spend with her.

Dear Queenie,

My son is almost 2 and sometimes his grandmother, my mother, likes to hold him and hug him and shower him with kisses. Sometimes he just accepts this, but other times he whines and squirms and says, “No,” but she just goes on doing it.

I like to hug and kiss my son too, but if he wants me to stop, I do.

Queenie, should I talk to my mother about this?—Concerned mother

Dear Mother,

Yes, talk to your mother. Affection is not “affectionate” if it is not welcome. Try to help her find other ways of showing her affection than forcing her grandson to endure unwanted “attacks”. And, as usual, I suggest that, if necessary, professional counselling might help.