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You all are generally fantastic at questions involving boundaries w toxic family, going no-contact, etc. so have a go at mine. My manipulative, abusive sister (who is a minister) is using her possible cancer to triangulate and create drama, even telling my mom she can't give any health updates unless I unblock sister and stop being no-contact with her. Things are escalating and today my mom refused to respect an explicit boundary. I'm still looking for strategies for dealing with this, so thanks for any you have. [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 2:55 PM - 15 answers

I am really enjoying babysitting my nephews (2 and 4) once a week. I have been amazed to see them grow over the past six months. I'm fascinated by childhood development, skill development, and how to have fun at the level the kids are at. Are there any books that show a skill-development tree, with games that would be fun at that level, and games that help develop skills? [more inside]
posted by rebent at 11:37 AM - 11 answers

I want to be a good parent to my 10th-grader, but I'm not sure how best to support him through the next couple of years. He is really different from how I was as a teen and I'm increasingly unsure whether I'm worrying too much or not enough about some of those differences. I'm hoping to crowdsource ideas/additional perspectives that could help me better direct my parental energies, especially from any MeFites out there who see a bit of their past selves in him. [more inside]
posted by ElizaMain at 11:14 AM - 30 answers

I'm planning an event with a friend of mine that will take place in May or June. I'm finding that she's more "big picture" than me -- I'm very organized (plus ADHD hyperfocus). I'm not trying not to overstep, though, because it's really her baby. How can I handle this tactfully? [more inside]
posted by trillian at 10:25 AM - 11 answers

How do I politely say, “now that I have a kid, my friendship with you is not a priority?” [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:31 PM - 37 answers

Humans seemed to have been designed to work and live in groups. But most of our living in the Western world seems now out of sync with this biology. [more inside]
posted by jacobean at 8:17 AM - 12 answers

We're looking to downsize to a smaller, less expensive house. My wife, theoretically in agreement with this idea, is balking at making offers or counter offers. We've been at this for two months so far, and I'm losing hope. Advice welcome. [more inside]
posted by elmay at 6:38 AM - 27 answers

If you've been through the break up (or near break-up) of a very long relationship/marriage that was not broken, but your partner fell in love with someone else... what advice would you give yourself at the beginning? What do you wish you knew? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 3:20 AM - 38 answers

As a hypothetical response to people in Manhattan pontificating at brunch, Garrison Keillor once said "we all read this morning's New York Times, we don't need to hear the audio edition." (I've also seen this depicted in Hollywood movies--someone pretending to have original thoughts on a matter when they really come from a popular editorial.) So, sounds like it happens fairly often. [more inside]
posted by Jon44 at 12:42 PM - 27 answers

I’m (m/57) and find my partner (f/50) don’t have bandwidth for answering questions when she’s complaining about things I do or don’t do or do wrong. How do I overcome that? [more inside]
posted by LngGrnd at 10:37 AM - 26 answers

I realized a few days ago that I've been dealing with anhedonia for the last decade and it's only gotten worse. Today when I woke up, I decided that I'm finally done feeling this way and I'm ready to help my body and mind regain their capacity for pleasure. I'm so tired of feeling like a husk of my former self. Open to tips, but also hoping to assemble a list of small, everyday actions that I can do to help me reestablish my identity and passions. [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings at 9:10 AM - 21 answers

What do you do when a family member who is too frail to live on their own will only accept help from people who can't help as much as they need? If you accept that you must help to some degree, how do you endure constant criticism and demands for additional assistance that you can't give? How do you stop this pattern repeating over and over? [more inside]
posted by socktohedron at 7:59 PM - 12 answers

An old friend (not extremely close, but a friendly relationship that I value) has had much success in both business and artistic endeavors over the course of their life. They were part of an artistic presentation last year, where their written bio identified them as a "neurodivergent [artist]" and gave many examples of their artistic work to date. Not that it matters, but I had never heard about this person's neurodivergence before. [more inside]
posted by JimN2TAW at 2:59 PM - 15 answers

What are some frameworks for removing conflict around clothing with a grade schooler who gets very invested in specific outfits? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph at 11:36 AM - 37 answers

I know some people think dreams are the result of random electrical impulses in your brain but I am firmly of the belief they have significant meaning. I also know hearing about other people's dreams can be extremely tedious! There is one recurring nightmare which I've been having for over a decade and I was wondering if anyone had any interesting interpretations on it. [more inside]
posted by Sunflower88 at 1:57 PM - 20 answers

You've had a productive/successful conversation with a young adult in your family, who is resistant to returning to school or work. How did you manage that? What tips do you have? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:09 AM - 30 answers

I went to a metal show and it was sweaty, as usual, but suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. I wore earplugs and was about three rows of people from the band. The nausea came, then I started gagging and felt like I was going to pass out. Legs went soft, room spun around me. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 4:51 PM - 13 answers

Help me not give up just as things are getting better. [more inside]
posted by pandabanter at 6:08 AM - 6 answers

Started new job, old job wants me back and is willing to pay me a lot more than I currently make. I’m conflicted about leaving my new place of work so quickly. Not sure if I should stay or go back. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:04 AM - 20 answers

I'm childfree and for the first time dating a man that comes with a kid (and two pets) attached. It's coming up to 2 years now, and I (not having had kids or pets before due to disinterest) presumed that some deeper feelings towards the dependents would just kind of kick in at some point. As it is, I feel as indifferent to them as day 1. I don't let the lack of feelings show, and I take care of them (feed/medicate/bathe/play with them) when I'm over and don't mind doing so. They all adore me and I feel bad that I don't return their adoration. Do feelings come at some point? What can I do to get feelings happening?
posted by anonymous at 5:03 AM - 22 answers