Dear Queenie,
My husband got divorced may years ago and because his ex-wife got sick their 1-year-old daughter went into the custody of his aunt and uncle and she is still with them and she calls them “Mom”and “Dad”.
She sees her mother and father (my husband) quite often and gets along well with our children (her half-brothers and -sisters). Sometimes she talks about living with us if anything happens to her “Mom” and “Dad” because they are not in very good health.
Queenie, should we try to get custody of her?—Stepmother
Dear Stepmother,
Have your stepdaughter visit you as often as possible and even stay overnight sometimes, but do not take her away from the people who have raised her unless they become unable to take proper care of her.
Dear Queenie,
My older brother is having problems remembering things. Either he doesn’t remember something or he thinks something that happened to someone he knows actually happened to him. He also doesn’t remember things he said that were very rude and when we try to talk to him about it he insists he would never say such a thing.
Queenie, is there something we can do about this or should we just try to ignore it?—Worried sibling
Dear Sibling,
Depending on how old your brother is, this could be an age-related problem. Whatever the cause, he should have a complete physical check-up. And if you think he might not (remember to) mention all this to the doctor, try to go with him for the check-up so you can tell the doctor whatever your brother forgets(?) to mention.
Dear Queenie,
My best friend from when we were kids still dresses like women did when we were kids even though styles have changed a lot since then. She got divorced a while ago and wants to start dating again.
Queenie, how do I tell her to get more up-to-date if she wants to meet a really good man?—Style-conscious friend
Dear Friend,
Do not criticise the way your friend dresses. Wait a while, and then go shopping with her. You can make gentle suggestions as to what would look good on her, but do not make an issue of it.
Dear Queenie,
I just found out that my boyfriend got some sexy photos from some other girl. I don’t do things like that.
Queenie, what should I do?—Angry girlfriend
Dear Girlfriend,
If you have no other problems with your boyfriend do not make an issue of this. After all, no matter what that other girl did, he is still with you. But if he asks you for similar photos of yourself, do not do it if you do not want to, because because you will not gain anything and could lose a lot of privacy.
Dear Queenie,
I’ve been dating a women who is a lot older than me. I like her a lot and I think she likes me a lot too and I would like for us to be living together.
Queenie, do you think this would be okay?—May and December
Dear May and December,
Relationships like yours are not uncommon these days, but both of you may find that many of your friends are not comfortable with your age difference. I suggest you wait a while longer before moving in together. Give your friends a chance to get to know you as a couple and see how they react. And also give yourselves a chance to get to know each other better.
