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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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