All articles filed in Dear Lola

I was cleaning my daughter’s bedroom the other day while she was in school. She normally maintains her room without help, but I needed to organize spaces for the new Christmas toys.

Now that Christmas is over, I have a question about etiquette.

You must have noticed that I didn’t post a new Dear Lola column this week. I have decided to take the rest of 2018 as a holiday and think about all the ways my brain has delighted the Dear Lola readers this year. Modesty is really a wonderful attribute of mine, wouldn’t you agree? I…

Dear Lola, A few months ago my children started earning an allowance for doing chores. My wife and I thought it would be a good way to teach kids the value of earning money, saving for what they want and purchasing it once they had enough. I felt confident that we knew exactly what we were doing,…

Dear Lola, I am going on holiday in a month for a family wedding, and am facing a dilemma with my children. My son is the oldest and he is enrolled in school – our system has very strict attendance rules and he is not be able to miss those days to travel with us. My…

Dear Lola, My 8-year-old son loves to wear dresses, a fashion choice that my husband and I fully embrace. We have always taught him that what he wears is his own choice and that clothes do not define who he is as a person. This idea was accepted by our extended family without much explanation being…

Dear Lola, My marriage is in trouble and I need your help! Lately my husband has become obsessed with superheroes. It started out innocently enough, with comics and movies. Then it gradually progressed to comic conventions and costumes, some of which cost more money than a college degree. This week the final nail went into the proverbial…

Dear Lola, A few months ago my wife was feeling very rundown. As a bit of pampering, I began bringing her tea in bed so she could rest for a few minutes longer before tackling the unenviable job of getting the kids off to school. I think my question is more rhetorical in nature, but I would…

Dear Lola, I need some guidance on what to do when my colleagues use words erroneously. If it were a friend I would never equivocate – I would instantly rectify their gaffe. However, I don’t foresee that endeavor producing a positive result with my colleagues. My trepidation is that my colleagues will persist in using these words…

Dear Lola, I’m writing in for my 10-year-old daughter. She happened to see your photo on my phone and she needs a bit of help with her two younger twin brothers. No matter what she puts on the television, her brothers fight. She will try to appease one, then the other brother gets vocal. If…