Dear LFTP: the angry 17-year-old daughter
- Our 17-year-old daughter is angry and swears at her younger sisters — how do we handle it until she moves out?
A parent writes that 'Heather,' a high-school senior turning 18 soon, is angry and confrontational, swears at her parents and calls her younger sisters (15 and 9) the b-word. The hosts treat it as partly normal senior-year separation ('bear cubs, get out of the den') but draw lines: check whether the home environment cultivated it, dig for harmful influences, and then be the wall — name the unacceptable behavior and enforce house boundaries without trying to jail or behaviorally modify a near-adult. Practical counsel: talk to kids like created-in-God's-image adults rather than talking down to them, and don't fully disengage. The Secular answer: talk to her, ask why she's angry, consider professional help, state plainly that the behavior must stop, and follow through on consequences.
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