Dear LFTP: the new stepmother's pushy parenting advice
- How should a new mother handle a new stepmother's pushy and dangerous parenting advice?
Ben reads a Dear LFTP letter from a new mother whose father just remarried: her new stepmother, who claims to have been a nurse, pushes parenting advice that contradicts the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics — that breastfeeding stunts growth, babies should sleep face down, and holding a baby in the car equals a car seat. When pressed, the 'nurse' credential turns out to be a barely-passed correspondence nursing-assistant degree; she never worked as a nurse. Ben's advice: stick to your guns, be firm without animus, keep it lighthearted, don't let her persistence make you angry, and think the best of her — she may just be trying to earn a place in the new family. Secular's answer largely agrees, adding that the mother should never let the woman hold the baby in the car since it's illegal and could be fatal.
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