What should I do about my mother? I don't get along with her or like her, nor can I afford to have her live with me. Yet she has nowhere to go. I'm in Canada. What are my options? [more inside]
posted by j1sh on Apr 8, 2013 - 38 answers

How to anonymously send my Grandmother money? I love my Grandmother to pieces. She's one of my favorite people. She's the most charismatic woman I've ever known.. she just has a way with people. I watch her engage others in awe; she can disarm an utterly rigid stranger in a few seconds by simply bestowing her beautiful aura upon them. Pathetically, people have taken advantage of her throughout her entire life. I won't go into details because it's irrelevant, but her story is a sad one. Anyway I'm an adult now and I'm making a good living. I want to help her out without her knowing it's me, and for the rest of her life. She would never accept financial assistance from me so I have to be stealthy. [more inside]
posted by OneHermit on Feb 23, 2013 - 17 answers

How do you deal with difficult family situations without imploding? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 30, 2011 - 8 answers

How can I support my husband as he works through some issues? [more inside]
posted by your mom's a sock puppet on Jul 22, 2011 - 13 answers

In continuation of this question, what resources can I forward to my family member, now that he is off the streets? [more inside]
posted by vivid postcard on Jul 17, 2011 - 4 answers

A relative is set to become homeless in few days. I don't know how to help, if I even can, or whether I should. Help me help him help himself. [more inside]
posted by vivid postcard on Dec 28, 2010 - 35 answers

A very close family member is having scary surgery tomorrow. Me and my family members will be freaked out and bored at the same time in the waiting room for an extended period of time. Can you suggest some ways to amuse and distract ourselves? [more inside]
posted by pazazygeek on Sep 22, 2010 - 26 answers

Should I contact my boyfriend's mother because I believe he needs help? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 22, 2010 - 15 answers

Sadly I lost a friend to a long battle with cancer last night, her husband and teenage children are without any extended family in the area and will rely on some of us for the next while. Two things: 1 - Can you tell me of things that friends and family have done for you in similar circumstances that really helped at the time: large, small, immediately, over days, weeks, months, whatever. We'll sort out food, the pets and cleaning the house but what else can we do? 2 - Any advice on striking the right balance between giving them their space to grieve and being there to support to them?
posted by HopStopDon'tShop on Mar 21, 2010 - 22 answers

If you had $200 to help a child, what's the best way to spend that money? [more inside]
posted by GrubbyUtter on Feb 9, 2010 - 18 answers

My mom sent me an email today acknowledging for the very first time (that I am aware of) that she experiences symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I would like to write the best response that I can to her, with some links or information about possible next steps. I don't want to screw this up, please help me help her! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 30, 2009 - 8 answers

My grandmother died this morning. I'm going home to help out the family, but I would like to make a list of things I might not remember before I leave so that we don't forget anything. [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob on Aug 12, 2009 - 23 answers

My friend and her ex-boyfriend got in a fight, he got violent and beat her up pretty bad. She got in the car with their baby and fled cross-country to stay with her parents. There is a hearing next month to determine custody of the child, and she doesn't want to lose the kid to what is likely going to be an abusive father. Lawyer up, right? Problem is, not a lot of money. Can you point me to any organizations in California that provide pro-bono / sliding-scale / low-cost legal aid services for abused women? [more inside]
posted by sergeant sandwich on Jun 28, 2009 - 10 answers

My grandfather recently passed and left me as the co-owner of a house with my VERY irresponsible uncle. How can I protect myself from liability and how do / should I attempt to save my uncle from himself? What kind of professional should I talk to? [more inside]
posted by jlowen on Mar 25, 2008 - 17 answers

What can I do to help my mom in her new role as the full-time caretaker for my ailing step-dad? [more inside]
posted by greta simone on Feb 17, 2008 - 11 answers

Situation: 16.5 year old son, ripe with hormones. Also ADD & PDD-NOS, as well as depressed, which make him impulsive, resistant to authority, and Not So Good at social cues. He's sending sexually explicit text messages to a girl, who's apparently willing to go right along. Even if we we permissive [I am, his bio parents aren't] he's not ready for it. How do we talk to him? [more inside]
posted by eridanis on Sep 18, 2006 - 45 answers

Help save my brother's life. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Coffeemate on Jul 29, 2004 - 78 answers