#1182, #1183, #1184: “Do I have to be friends with my sibling?” or, Advice For Relationships You Don’t Want to Lose But Don’t Want To Work At.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 ~ JenniferP ~ 172 Comments

Hi Captain, For over a decade, I had a really bad relationship with my sister. She struggled with addiction and suicide ideation and, often, was just plain mean. I enabled her by making sure I was always available to her during her emotional crises and never saying no to anything she wanted. I got a … Continue reading #1182, #1183, #1184: “Do I have to be friends with my sibling?” or, Advice For Relationships You Don’t Want to Lose But Don’t Want To Work At.

#1179: “My mother-in-law is about to become my coworker.”

February 20, 2019February 21, 2019 ~ JenniferP ~ 136 Comments

Hey Cap, My mother in law has been out of work for some time and really needs a job, she’s applied to a lot of places and not gotten any calls. She has very specific work experience, work in this field has dried up significantly and is sporadic at best, she still has a mortgage … Continue reading #1179: “My mother-in-law is about to become my coworker.”

#1163: “I’m screamingly jealous of my sister’s fiancé.”

January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 ~ JenniferP ~ 259 Comments

Dear Captain Awkward, My sister is 37 and I (also female) am 34. We share an apartment and consider ourselves best friends. We’ve both had bad luck with relationships, and I had quietly given up on either of us marrying. But in the past few months she has finally found love and is now engaged. … Continue reading #1163: “I’m screamingly jealous of my sister’s fiancé.”

#1059: The reluctant pet-sitter (An ‘Art of No’ Post)

December 11, 2017 ~ JenniferP ~ 340 Comments

Dear Captain, This seems like a very minor thing to be asking for help with, I know. But I feel like even if there's no solution to my "problem", getting the input of a bunch of neutral parties (particularly neutral parties with solid understandings of boundaries) would make me feel better, and if you feel … Continue reading #1059: The reluctant pet-sitter (An ‘Art of No’ Post)

#896: “One wedding, one funeral, and a crapton of sibling conflict.”

September 8, 2016May 31, 2019 ~ JenniferP ~ 180 Comments

Dear Captain Awkward, My brother died suddenly in an accident in May. He was my only full sibling. The only sibling I grew up with and lived with. I also have 3 older half siblings from my father’s first marriage- we’re not super close, we see each other at holidays and text quarterly updates. After … Continue reading #896: “One wedding, one funeral, and a crapton of sibling conflict.”

#797: Hark, Yon Sinful Bed Of The Unmarried!

November 19, 2015November 21, 2015 ~ JenniferP ~ 298 Comments

Hello! This is a question that is hopefully less fraught than a few of the other Holiday Questions and I hope will be an easy question for you all to answer. My partner and I have been living together for over a year and together for much longer than that; it is a thoughtful, committed … Continue reading #797: Hark, Yon Sinful Bed Of The Unmarried!

#785: Difficult Mom Wants To Be Closer

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015 ~ JenniferP ~ 268 Comments

Hi, Captain, My mom and I have had a fraught relationship for most of my life. Her parenting was often verbally and emotionally abusive, she spent much of my adolescence self-medicating with alcohol, and she's both extremely volatile and prone to interpreting criticism as an indictment of her entire being (so, for instance, "Mom, I … Continue reading #785: Difficult Mom Wants To Be Closer

#718: How can I be more assertive about last minute invitations from difficult family?

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015 ~ JenniferP ~ 148 Comments

Hi Captain, I’m wondering if you could give me some advice on dealing with my challenging Mother when I’m going through stressful times. Right now I’m nearing the end of my Master’s degree, so I’m working long hours, stressed out, and have a lot to do (your posts on graduate life have been very helpful!). … Continue reading #718: How can I be more assertive about last minute invitations from difficult family?

#713: “I’m ready to graduate from the kids’ table.”

June 12, 2015June 12, 2015 ~ JenniferP ~ 236 Comments

Hi there CA and screeners. Long-time reader, first time writer. I’m writing to ask for some advice on how to get my extended family to treat me like an adult. I’m 21 years old now, about to graduate from college and start my life in the real world and I’m starting to find that my … Continue reading #713: “I’m ready to graduate from the kids’ table.”