1) Wicked Stepdaughter (Prudie labeled that one right):

I would normally say that a child has a right to be a little pissed off when her parents move on and find someone new. It is understandable to have a hard time adjusting to someone trying to take one parent’s place. The problem here is that the adjustment period is long past due (for the divorce and the new step mom) and this is no child (at least in age) we are talking about.

Obviously this “child” has personal issues she can’t get past. She may even blame her dad for the breakup of the marriage (it is almost never completely the fault of one person even if cheating was involved). The stepdaughter will never listen to anything the LW says, so trying to fix this is completely out of her hands.

The LW needs to step back and let her husband handle this. The husband needs to sit down and have a serious talk with his daughter. He needs to let her know that the LW is here to stay, and her continued rudeness will not be tolerated. It doesn’t matter how old a child is, good parents can still influence them.

Video) Long Winded Lady:

It sounds like this lady is lonely. She probably doesn’t get a lot of company, and takes advantage of it when she gets the chance. I am betting that this guy probably finds that her family seems to disappear when she starts talking to this guy. Maybe that is why they really wanted him there in the first place. It may suck for him, but he is probably making this poor old lady’s day.

My grandmother used to be just like that. She would be stuck at home alone all day, and when I got home she would talk my ears off. It used to annoy the crap out of me sometimes because I had a bunch of other things I could be doing. It was even worse when she repeated stories I had heard before.

It used to bug me, but now I miss it. My family was so envious of all the time I got to spend with her before she died. I learned more about her and the way life used to be than I ever would have from history class. Her birthday was yesterday, and now I thank God for all the memories she shared with me.

2) Harbinger of Death:

This may sound sexist, but why do women do this? My wife went into a panic about three months after our daughter was born because she wanted to pick our parental successors. I thought it was kind of like inviting death over for dinner, but it is one of those things you just have to take care of like life insurance (better to choose than have someone else choose for you).

My family is in a very similar situation. My parents are in their sixties, retired, and live 700 miles away. The closest other family members that we felt comfortable as guardians are 500 miles away. We have some very close friends that love our daughter and treat her like family.

We had to choose what is best for our daughter. We discussed it with our friends and told them that they were the best choice because of their age, similar values, and it would keep our daughter from having to deal with two dramatic upheavals at once.

After that, we discussed it with our families. We told them why we made the decision we made, and they understood. It was all about the child and nothing to do with favorites. I can’t guarantee that anyone else will have as much luck as me in this area, but it was totally our decision to make anyway.

3) Young and Restless:

Oh, the games people play! It sounds like this guy is looking for an ego boost. Nothing works better than to have two girls fighting over you. If that isn’t the case, he is just too chickenshit to dump his girlfriend himself. It will be much easier to have his “new girlfriend” do it. Plus, he gets the ego boost from the girl fight. She needs to run in the opposite direction. This situation will turn out the same for her as it is starting to turn out for his current girlfriend.

As for finding a boyfriend, she should take a closer look at that guy that just likes to spend time hanging out with her. We all know that guy. He will treat her much better than any Mr. Popular ever will.

As you probably guessed, I was that guy way too many times. I finally found someone willing to take a chance on a friend. We may not be together now, but we are still friends.

4) What was your name again?:

For a group of strangers (of any age) at a social affair, the nametags sound like a good idea to me. Nothing makes me feel less significant than to have to remind someone of my name all night long. It may not be on purpose, but it makes a person feel “forgettable”. This may be great for some people, but I am not a hitman or a thief. Nametags allow us to be forgetful without being rude.

(I typed these out before I read Prudie’s responses. I guess I didn’t add too much to what she said. I am actually agreeing with what Prudie says? Must be Armageddon!)