Dear Queenie,
I’ve been dating a girl I like a lot, and she says she likes me, but it is a problem for her that I look so much like her father.
Queenie, what should I do about this?—Mirror image
Dear Mirror image,
Is the resemblance physical, or is it more a matter of personality? Either way, people are often attracted to others who remind them of their parents, and if they have a good relationship with their parents this is not a bad thing.
Dear Queenie,
One time when some relatives visited us their daughter, age 10, had a tantrum and threatened to slap our daughter, age 3, because our daughter kept coming over to her and trying to play with her.
I kept my daughter away from her after that, but the other girl’s parents never did anything about the situation.
Recently I invited them to visit us again, but asked them to watch their daughter and keep her away from ours, and they got vexed.
Queenie, were we wrong?—Offended parents
Dear Parents,
No, you were not wrong. But when you have guests you should keep a close eye on your little daughter and use the opportunity to teach her how to behave – and how not to behave! – among strangers.
Dear Queenie,
My wife and I have been married for many years and have a son in primary school. We are doing well financially and are thinking about having another child so that our son will not grow up to be an only child.
Queenie, what do you think?—Undecided parents
Dear Parents,
If your only reason for having another child is so that your son will not be an “only child”, bear in mind that because of the age difference, your children will not grow up “together” and are not likely to be “close”. However, the decision is yours to make.
Dear Queenie,
My mother-in-law wants me to call her “Mama”, but that is what I call my own mother and I don’t want to call anyone else by the same name. On the other hand, I don’t want to offend my mother-in-law.
Queenie, what can I do?—Worried son-in-law
Dear Son-in-law,
Think up some special name for your mother-in-law – for example, if her last name is Jones you can call her “Mama Jones”. Then tell your mother-in-law that you have a special name for her and that is what you will call her.
Dear Queenie,
When I was in my teens I got into trouble and was put on probation. I served my time and I’ve never been in trouble again.
Queenie, when I am getting to know someone, when do I have to tell them about all this?—Ex-con
Dear Ex-con,
You do not have to mention your conviction to a casual aquaintance. However, if/when a relationship becomes more than casual, you should tell them about it and assure them that it never has been repeated and never will be.
