Dear LFTP: the stepdaughter's anxious fiance
- How do I connect with my stepdaughter's silent, anxious fiance?
A listener writes that her stepdaughter is engaged to a young man who, apparently from anxiety, barely speaks at family gatherings and skips events. The hosts advise starting small: one-on-one time like watching a football game or a movie, meeting him at his level rather than throwing him into big family events; anxiety is not cured by being loved harder. The Secular answer is read (suggesting a serious talk with the stepdaughter and flagging the behavior as a possible red flag); the hosts push back that risking the marriage over awkward family gatherings is unfair, while conceding that if he can't manage even one-on-one conversation, stress is coming. Dan's suggestion to 'take his turf' is credited by name.
More on Boundaries
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Dear LFTP: Ralph calls three or four times a week
- How can I get my retired friend Ralph to call less frequently without being rude?
The letter: 'Ralph,' a longtime best friend, retired and is bored, so he calls three or four times a week 'even when there's nothing new to talk about,' rehashing the same things; subtle hints haven't worked; letting it go to voicemail just earns a callback request.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the senior-living handshake letter, and the close
- How can a senior-living resident politely decline the dining-room manager's handshakes?
Mike reads the second Dear LFTP letter: a senior-living resident whose dining-room manager (Manny) shakes hands at residents' tables, and who dodges with wet or greasy hands — how to decline politely?
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Dear LFTP: the fiance who games until 5AM
- What should the letter-writer do about her fiance's all-night gaming habit?
Mike reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman engaged five years to Dustin, who games from 10PM to 5AM, skips chores, and gives her no attention; talking has not helped since 'he grew up gaming.'
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers