Parents
#478: RSVP/Invitation Etiquette
Cap’n! I have a question about RSVP etiquette and other people’s family drama. Two other friends (A and B) and I are throwing a baby shower for a third friend (C). We’re inviting friends and any of C’s extended family who live locally and decided to throw it at A’s place, because she has the […]
#467: How do I help my partner communicate better with his family?
Dear Cap’n, I don’t know how best to help my DH. This message follows us having a long, slightly drunk but happy and loving chat about his life. DH’s family history is complicated. His upbringing includes some things which, when we talk about them, he agrees were “probably abuse”, but explains that he’s somewhat normalised […]
#464: My mom died and my dad started having sex with men. A LOT of men. Should I talk to him about it?
Dear Captain Awkward, My mom died suddenly and unexpectedly 2 months ago. My parents had been married almost 40 years. A month after her passing, I accidentally discovered that my dad has been sleeping with multiple men he meets on the internet, at the gym, etc., and that he is also having sex in public […]
London Meetup + #462: When is it time to cut off communication with abusive family?
Reminder, monthly London meetup is tomorrow. Sorry for not posting this sooner, guys! It’s been the week of 1000 meetings. Dear Awkward Army, London meetup this weekend, 23rd March! All welcome. 11:00 am onwards, Leon restaurant, 36/38 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4TT. The venue so far has worked out well, so I’m sticking with that. […]
What is an introvert? #456 & #457: Communication Expectations
Hello Captain Awkward team! Since I started college, my mother has been driving me crazy regarding calls home. Specifically, the frequency of my calls home. I am introverted and don’t express attachment and affection openly. In the beginning of college, if I didn’t call every single day to reassure her I was not dead in […]
#446 and #447: Aging, family, and boundaries
Dear Captain Awkward: I’m having a bit of trouble with my parents. To start off with, I’m in my mid-40s and have been living on my own since I was 19. My parents are in their late 60s. They’re both retired, but Dad has been volunteering his time at a local school to give him […]
#441: Feeling my way as live-in girlfriend to father of an 11-year-old girl
Hello! I didn’t find anything in the archives so I hope I’m not asking this when it’s been covered before. My boyfriend and I live together with his 11 y/o daughter, and I’m having some trouble figuring out how to be “dad’s girlfriend.” Quick background: My boyfriend (we’ll call him A) had his daughter (N) […]
#416: How do I get a Team You?
Greetings! I have a question about Team You. Mainly, how does obtain such a wondrous thing? I am in a situation where I am the primary caretaker for an elderly parent with serious health issues. She requires a great deal of time and energy- mental more than physical. The rest of my family is basically […]
#404: My thief of a dad is going to be at my sister’s wedding.
Dear Captain Awkward, In a few months, my big sister’s getting married, and I’m a bridesmaid. Awesome! The problem is that my estranged father will be there, and I legit cannot be around him. My parents are divorced and Dad was always weird. When I was 16, he and I had a massive argument where […]
