Dear LFTP: Grandma Dorothy and the dress shopping
- How do I ask my mother-in-law to reel it in without offending her?
A letter writer asks how to get her mother-in-law, 'Grandma Dorothy,' to reel in her attention-seeking behavior — loud baby voice, spotlight-stealing gifts — without offending her, especially since her daughter does not want Dorothy at dress shopping. The hosts split the problem: for dress shopping, just do not tell her (sins of omission); for the wedding itself, they doubt talking will change a personality and suggest rolling with it, since everyone already knows how she is — though the letter writer could set ground rules if needed. The Secular answer says it is the daughter's wedding and her wishes about who attends should prevail, conveyed by the daughter herself.
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