Ask Amy

Amy Dickinson provides daily advice and tips about love, marriage, kids, family, dating, divorce and work for The Mercury News.

By The Mercury News

Advice
Ask Amy: She's about to marry a man caught with child pornography
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DEAR AMY: My sister has been dating “Bob” for 18 months. About six months into dating, Bob began to publicly display odd behavior, such as asking my …
Advice
Ask Amy: She's been holding his suicide over me for 8 years
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DEAR AMY: My older sister and her family are survivors of suicide. My nephew killed himself on his father’s birthday, eight years ago. The pain and …
Advice
Ask Amy: She's about to destroy everything she's worked for
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DEAR AMY: My 21-year-old niece will be graduating from a well-known college in May. She has already secured a great job in another state and has the …
Advice
Ask Amy: My mom stood me up twice, and I'm really angry
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DEAR AMY: Recently my nephew got married. My mom RSVP’d for the wedding and made the five-hour drive with her husband to the city the wedding was in, …
Advice
Ask Amy: He took my money then broke his promise
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DEAR AMY: I am recently engaged. We have been together for almost three years. Like all new couples, we have had our rough patches but we worked …
Advice
Ask Amy: She's treated him like a sexual predator since he was 6
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DEAR AMY: Six years ago, my two grandchildren were playing “family” in a makeshift fort with blankets hung for walls. These two cousins were both 6 …
Advice
Ask Amy: I want to get rid of my son's dog but don't know how
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DEAR AMY: For the past 2½ years my son (now 9) has been asking for a dog. I’ve been saying no because while I like dogs, I prefer them in other …
Advice
Ask Amy: She won't follow me on Instagram. What should I do?
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DEAR AMY: I have an Instagram account that solely functions to promote and sell my artwork. I sent my cousin’s wife a request to follow her on …
Advice
Ask Amy: She and her mom have become Showerzillas
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DEAR AMY: I was asked (along with four other women) to help plan my friend Kath’s baby shower. When we first met up to discuss the baby shower, we …
Advice
Ask Amy: Wife's extreme weight loss endangers marriage
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DEAR AMY: I have been married for 16 years, and have been with my wife for 18 years. She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and has always weighed around 200 to …
Advice
Ask Amy: Should we try a 'nesting' divorce?
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DEAR AMY: My husband of 18 years has confessed to having had five long-term affairs during our marriage. In addition to his infidelity, we have been …
Advice
Ask Amy: Social media has ruined our family surprises
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DEAR AMY: I’m a senior citizen and am very active on social media. I’ve noticed that my adult children and grandchildren tend to share big …
Advice
Ask Amy: This doormat knows how to have her revenge
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DEAR AMY: My mother is a doormat. For 38 years, I’ve observed her give in and give in repeatedly in her relationships. It’s as if she is always …
Advice
Ask Amy: My girlfriend is secretive, and I think I know why
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DEAR AMY: I think my girlfriend is in touch with her ex quite a bit, via text, phone and social media. She does not want me to have an Instagram …
Advice
Ask Amy: As soon as I married her she became the wife from hell
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DEAR AMY: My marriage is not a particularly happy one. My wife and I were both older when we met and running out of time to have children, so we …
Advice
Ask Amy: This 6-year-old is living on candy, salt and bread
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DEAR AMY: I have a 6-year-old granddaughter. She is pretty, kind, smart, helpful and active with many friends. She has always been a picky eater. She …
Advice
Ask Amy: This child strangled and threatened to kill a party guest
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DEAR AMY: We live in a small, close-knit community. Our family hosts large, fun, family-centered community parties each year. A set of neighborhood …
Advice
Ask Amy: Boy runs from house screaming about dad's sick porn
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DEAR AMY: Recently my neighbor boy (age 7) ran out of his house yelling that his dad was looking at naked ladies on his computer, and it was …
Advice
Ask Amy: This abuser cost me my Ph.D. and possibly my career
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DEAR AMY: My dream is to be a medical researcher. I have devoted my life to this goal, entering a Ph.D. program straight out of …
Advice
Ask Amy: I'm devastated he won't see our baby born
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DEAR AMY: I’m happily married and expecting my first child in a couple of months. We’ve just learned that my father-in-law has to have a triple bypass …
Advice
Ask Amy: My overbooked friend tried to dump me on her parents
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DEAR AMY: My best friend has always kept her schedule jam-packed, but she has always been there when I needed her, and vice versa, no matter her …
Advice
Ask Amy: Furious family is definitely not saving-the-date
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DEAR AMY: My niece (my brother-in-law’s daughter) is getting married in the fall. She is having a destination wedding. My husband and I received a …
Advice
Ask Amy: They gave me a cheap trinket for my birthday. I want to ask why.
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DEAR AMY: My husband and I have been married for over 10 years. We have adult children from prior marriages. My stepson and his wife, who live in …
Advice
Ask Amy: I'm worried this party will teach my kid the wrong lesson
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DEAR AMY: At preschool pickup today, another parent invited us to a celebratory kids’ event next month. That sounds great, but I’m concerned because …
Advice
Ask Amy: We're so sad about how they parent our grandchildren
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DEAR AMY: As grandparents, my husband and I are so sad to witness the amount of time our children spend texting with their toddlers in the room. I …
Advice
Ask Amy: He points out the flaws in everything I like, even xkcd
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DEAR AMY: I’m writing about a curious thing my husband does that tends to hurt my feelings. I’m not sure how inconsiderate he may be, or how …
Advice
Ask Amy: My abuser's defense was appalling
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DEAR AMY: Around two years ago you published a letter from me regarding my maternal grandfather. He sexually abused me during my whole childhood from …
Advice
Ask Amy: She says we can never undo this party snub
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DEAR AMY: My husband and I recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We decided to have a vow renewal. We decided to have our three children …
Advice
Ask Amy: She doesn't respect my rules about sugar
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DEAR AMY: I was not raised with an excess of sweets in our home, though we had normal celebratory treats (occasional desserts, birthday cakes, …