Woman needs to address ex-husband's behavior

Dear Annie: I am a single mother of six children, the youngest of whom is 12. I divorced their father 10 years ago. I am the custodial parent and receive child support. I don't have any issues with my ex's financial responsibilities. It is visitation that is the problem.

Abusive ex-boyfriend wants another chance at relationship

Dear Annie: I left a relationship of six years when my boyfriend became physically and emotionally abusive. We have two children together.

Leave kids out of child support fight

Dear Annie: I've been a stepmother to two lovely girls, now 12 and 17, since they were very young. My husband gladly pays child support on time without fail. The girls have different mothers who raise their children in opposite ways, yet in both cases, it's rare that the child support actually reaches the child.

Pain pills not the medication for healthy marriage

Dear Annie: Please help me. My husband, whom I love very much, is addicted to pain pills. It's been more than a year. He says he takes them to maintain his energy levels for his long 12-hour days, but, Annie, he still takes the pills on his days off. When he tries to stop, he goes through withdrawal symptoms.

Parents’ silence not golden

Dear Annie: I am an 18-year-old guy, and my parents are splitting up. I don't know the full story, but things are getting somewhat awkward around the house. We try to live normally, but the silence hurts. I'm trying to deal with it and put up a good front until graduation, but it's hard.

Parents at odds with children over gender change

Dear Annie: We have two children and a 13-year-old grandson. Two years ago, our 48-year-old unmarried son very reluctantly told us that he has been diagnosed with gender identity disorder and considers himself to be female. This came as a complete surprise, but we decided to support her wholeheartedly, and we find her to be much happier than before.

Fiancé shows immature traits before wedding

Dear Annie: I am getting married in May. My fiancé, "Stan," didn't like his last job, so my brother hired him. Stan has been working there for a year.

Dear Annie for Jan. 27, 2012

Dear Annie: I am a bartender and waitress at a small local restaurant. We recently worked a big party that included drinks and a three-course meal. When it came time to pay, the customer left us a fairly large tip.

Grandmother concerned about child’s health risks

Dear Annie: My pregnant granddaughter smokes. She has switched to electronic cigarettes, telling her husband that these are completely safe and will not affect the baby in any way. She also claims there is no danger of secondhand smoke.

Volunteer concerned services are being abused

Dear Annie: Four months ago, I joined a nonprofit that provides free tutoring and homework help to elementary-school kids. When I started, the kids coming into our center were from low-income minority and immigrant families. These were kids who would be home alone all afternoon if they didn't come to us.

Dear Annie for Jan. 4, 2012

Dear Annie: I have been married to "Horace" for less than a year. This is his second marriage. His prior marriage was to his high school girlfriend, and they have two children together.

Controlling MIL blames wife for ruining relationship with husband, grandchild

Dear Annie: My mother lives by herself. I have not spent a great deal of time with her, but now that she is aging, I feel guilty for not being around. Mom doesn't have any friends, and my siblings barely speak to her. She is a difficult woman.

Dear Annie for Dec. 21, 2011

Dear Annie: I usually do the cooking in the house, but occasionally, my husband likes to surprise me by preparing a meal. I'm glad he wants to relieve me of the kitchen duties, but he has a bad habit of wrecking my cookware.

Parents deal with racism from family

Dear Annie: My husband and I adopted our daughter at birth. When my mother-in-law found out that "Amanda" is biracial, she informed my husband that we were no longer welcome in her home. Initially, she admitted it was simple racism, but now she says it's because she can never accept a child "not of my own blood." When our daughter was 3, Mom visited and told Amanda that she was a "friend," not a relative.

A poem by Robinson in tribute to Veterans Day

Dear Readers: Today is Veterans Day. In honor of our veterans, here is a piece written by John Alton Robinson of West Monroe, La.

Wife unsure of what to do about husband’s dementia

Dear Annie: I've been married to "Ned" for 25 years, and each year it seems to get worse. When we married, he told me I could do whatever I wanted with the house, but he never said I'd be the one paying.

Dog’s human mom experiences drama at local dog park

Dear Annie: I have an 8-month-old puppy, and I take her to a local dog park so she can run off leash and play with the other dogs, which she loves. In the three months I have been taking her, "Phoebe" has never been attacked or fought with another dog. That was until last night, when Phoebe approached another dog that was on a leash and that dog attacked her.

Mother unsure how to handle ex’s girlfriend