My parents are divorced; my father has custody of my younger brother, but is leaving the country for a few years for work. He wants me to live with and take care of my 16 year old brother until he graduates from HS. I love my brother, but I have some objections and I’m not sure how to handle this. (long explanation inside!) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 15, 2009 - 60 answers

Help. Help help help. My (ex?) girlfriend has taken our six day old child to her parents house and is barricading herself there. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 14, 2009 - 42 answers

[ParentFilter]: Quick survey of parents - how weird do you think it is for a father to take his toddler-age daughter on a long weekend trip to visit family, while the mother stays at home? [more inside]
posted by scblackman on Jul 15, 2009 - 49 answers

I want to change my son's middle name. Babydaddy ain't having it. [more inside]
posted by mezzanayne on Jul 13, 2009 - 44 answers

Looking for tips, advice, how-to's, words of wisdom, dire warnings, helpful websites/blogs/books, and general info on single parenting in general...and for single parenting for a dad raising an almost 3yo in particular. [more inside]
posted by ian1977 on Jul 13, 2009 - 12 answers

My (estranged) father just died. I don't know if he left a will. What are my next steps? [more inside]
posted by haplesschild on Jun 8, 2009 - 18 answers

30 years after my father is gone, I wonder what intangibles he denied me. How do I get a sneak peak into the world of a daddy‘s girl? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 30, 2009 - 38 answers

What to do about my alcoholic father? [more inside]
posted by gman on Apr 10, 2009 - 47 answers

How to write a brief email to a disrespectful parent who stole money to try to get it back? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 20, 2009 - 18 answers

How do I deal with my parents on limited resources without sending all of us into a fit? (likely to be TL;DR) [more inside]
posted by divabat on Feb 20, 2009 - 13 answers

Hypothetical child custody question about when the only living parent goes to jail. How hard is it for the convicted parent to regain custody of their child upon their release? [more inside]
posted by np312 on Feb 12, 2009 - 11 answers

My ex is a drunk, so I threw him out. However, we have a young child, and I'm having a hard time figuring out where to go from here. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 23, 2009 - 14 answers

I'd like to make matching father & son t-shirts for my husband and stepson with simple iron on letters. However, I can't come up with a witty saying for the shirts. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by pokeedog on Dec 18, 2008 - 17 answers

Puzzle people, here's a challenge - what should my dear ol' dad get for Christmas? [more inside]
posted by Lesser Shrew on Dec 13, 2008 - 7 answers

This is the first time that I've bought my father an unsolicited Christmas gift and I want to attach something to indicate its emotional weight for me. I'm thinking of written pieces. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted by parkbench on Dec 10, 2008 - 5 answers

Last year my dad and my step-mother divorced after 20 years of marriage. It was not an easy break-up, and my dad was pretty devastated in its wake. While it was wrenching for me to think of my dad being alone in his mid-sixties, I cheered myself knowing that my dad, being a very smart, handsome, together guy with a whole lot of awesome qualities, is definitely a catch and would almost certainly end up with someone terrific. I always pictured him being with some fun, free-spirited woman, probably a widow, someone who could match his intellect, stand up to his occasional bull-headedness, and win the hearts of his kids. He’s now with with someone, alright, but not at all what I’d imagined or hoped for. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 25, 2008 - 50 answers

Dressing as a Preist (leaning more toward Irish Catholic one )for Halloween. Looking for ideas and wierd and funny things to say. So far i found this Things you dont want a Preist to say was hoping to query the hive mind for funnier things and ideas.
posted by Rolandkorn on Oct 26, 2008 - 14 answers

Book filter: Getting a head start on Christmas presents - what books would you recommend for my kung fu instructing, deadwood watching, social work teaching freemason father? [more inside]
posted by Acer_saccharum on Oct 13, 2008 - 16 answers

How can I stop thinking about my father's bigotry, hatred, and intolerance? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 10, 2008 - 42 answers

Exercise/diet suggestions for getting my father to take better care of himself. [more inside]
posted by unceman on Oct 1, 2008 - 7 answers

My father's paranoia and controlling behavior is driving me up the wall. What I can do to calm him down? [more inside]
posted by sixcolors on Aug 24, 2008 - 33 answers

I'm the first-time father of a one-year old boy. Having recently finished "The Road" and "The Prince of Frogtown" and enjoyed the movie "The Kite Runner", I'm looking for suggestions of other books (or movies or songs) that are about the relationship between fathers and sons. [more inside]
posted by Jaybo on Aug 4, 2008 - 32 answers

How can I determine, with access to limited biological data, if my father is not who I thought he was? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 5, 2008 - 10 answers

My parents are getting a divorce. How do I support them? How do I relate to them without it being terribly weird on me? How do I stop worrying about them so much? [more inside]
posted by salvia on Jun 30, 2008 - 6 answers

Birthday gift recommendations: this will be the last birthday before he starts getting Father's day presents too. [more inside]
posted by penciltopper on Jun 19, 2008 - 5 answers

Does a father's moderate drinking, around insemination, affect conception rates or baby health? I've googled aplenty, but the info that I've found is consistently of poor quality, with lots of assertions and opinions but no data regarding actual outcomes, either for conception rates or a baby's development. I'm not interested in stories about damaged sperm, but rather solid evidence about babies, either the lack of babies or damage to their health. And I'm talking about consumption levels comfortably within the moderate range, so alcholic malnutrition and whatnot don't factor in. Thanks!
posted by NortonDC on Jun 14, 2008 - 10 answers

Working with my father is a nightmare. Should I quit? How do I deal with the repercussions? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 5, 2008 - 47 answers

I recently learned I am eligible for Irish citizenship because my grandparents were born in Ireland. I need to obviously prove my relation to them, which is where things get sticky. I am related to them by way of my somewhat estranged father. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 15, 2008 - 13 answers

How do I get out from under an abusive father? [more inside]
posted by Submiqent on May 5, 2008 - 16 answers

Okay, soooo... my dad just died. And I need to know how to handle myself and take care of my best interests. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Mar 26, 2008 - 51 answers

Looking for positive experiences where single parent and young child(en) were separated by great distances. Specifically, I am curious to know how it was made to work. [more inside]
posted by panoptican on Jan 3, 2008 - 9 answers

Have you ever explicitly told your dad, or any parent, that for your own emotional well-being you need time away from them? Have you ever wanted to? Is there any way to do this? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by Ash3000 on Dec 28, 2007 - 30 answers

I have reason to believe that my stepmother may be manipulating my father's health problems. Looking for advice on how to handle this delicate situation. [more inside]
posted by zharptitsa on Sep 23, 2007 - 15 answers

Do I call him? Probably should. But then what do I say? [more inside]
posted by engling on Jul 25, 2007 - 11 answers

What should I put in a time capsule for my daughter? [more inside]
posted by jonson on Jul 13, 2007 - 27 answers

Father's Day Filter: How to best handle this day for my son whose father has no contact with him because of molestation??? (LONG) [more inside]
posted by workinprogress on Jun 13, 2007 - 38 answers

How can I get this Father's Day card translated into Chinese? [more inside]
posted by scission on Jun 3, 2007 - 7 answers

How do I support my dad in his grief? [more inside]
posted by messylissa on Apr 26, 2007 - 11 answers

Seeking advice about how to confront parents about mom's mental illness. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 25, 2007 - 13 answers

My best friend/college roommate's dad just came out, and I have no idea what to do for her. [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven on Feb 4, 2007 - 8 answers

How do I handle my mentally unstable father? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 28, 2006 - 7 answers

Help me think of questions I can ask my dad to get to know him better. [more inside]
posted by 10ch on Oct 3, 2006 - 15 answers

I think my dad is too shy to really talk to me. How can I break the ice? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 16, 2006 - 19 answers

"La Riviera Maya" (er, coastal Quintana Roo, Mexico) or Costa Rica for a Totally Awesome Father-Son Bonding Experience in March/April/May 2007? [more inside]
posted by mdonley on May 26, 2006 - 13 answers

My father who I never knew, is trying to contact me. Should I bother? [more inside]
posted by KevinSkomsvold on Apr 9, 2006 - 59 answers

LateChristmasGiftFilter: My dad and his wife are really into their RV. Any ideas as to what I can get them for their RV. [more inside]
posted by nickerbocker on Dec 28, 2005 - 6 answers

What are some good "experience" gifts? Like a hot-air balloon ride, for example. My Dad has cancer and the prognosis is not good. I don't want to give him just another material THING for Christmas and upcoming birthday. For one thing, he has pretty much everything he could want materially (at least everything he could want that's still in my price-range). He's also an extreme workaholic (he's still working as much as he can from home) and I want to kind of force him to go and do some living while he can. [more inside]
posted by zharptitsa on Dec 13, 2005 - 17 answers

Help me entertain my father in San Francisco next week. [more inside]
posted by cior on Oct 18, 2005 - 16 answers

Birthday gift ideas for my dad who is turning 60. [more inside]
posted by blueyellow on Jul 10, 2005 - 9 answers

I was raised by an abusive father. Now in my early 30's I am looking ahead to the future when I may become a father. I am determined not to recreate the family environment I grew up in but know how these things sometimes turn out -- that people determined not to recreate something sometimes wind up doing so in an unforseen manner. I was in therapy for 2 years in my 20's to work on the issues but therapy is not an option now because of money. I have worked hard not to be my father, but part of me is afraid that I will wind up being like him as a parent. (In particular, I worry about being a father to a son because of my history). I am looking for information about the father-son relationship as well as information about how to be a good parent when you have a background like mine. Please offer advice, books, suggestions - anything that can help.
posted by anonymous on Feb 13, 2005 - 16 answers