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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Annie’s Mailbox: Be the example for your kids

Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar The Spokesman-Review

Dear Annie: When I first met my wife, her sister, “Vicki,” was married with three children. Vicki then cheated on her husband and they divorced. Reluctantly, we let her new beau into our lives. Now, two kids into this marriage, Vicki was again caught cheating with a married man and is moving in with him and his three kids.

In the past seven years, Vicki has had five children with three different fathers. She lies constantly and never seems to think anything is wrong with her behavior. I told my wife I want nothing to do with Vicki’s newest boyfriend or his kids, and I don’t want our children exposed to their aunt’s behavior. My wife’s family acts as if nothing has happened. My wife thinks I’m being closed-minded. What do you say? – Storm Brewing in D.C.

Dear Storm Brewing: We agree that Vicki is a mess, and we can understand why you don’t want to form a relationship with a married man who cheated on his wife. But your wife wishes to see her sister, and that apparently includes subscribing to Boyfriend of the Month. You can teach your children that such irresponsible behavior is wrong without cutting her off entirely. For major family gatherings, you should make an effort to be polite and serve as an example of stability to Vicki’s children. Otherwise, tell your wife she can see Vicki on her own.

Dear Annie: My daughter, “Gaia,” attends a small private school and is on one of the school sports teams where the parents are the coaches.

Gaia became friends with “Marisa,” the daughter of the coach. When Gaia had a party three weeks ago, she invited her entire class, and even included Marisa’s younger sister. During the party, we discovered Marisa is allergic to our cats, and although she had to take medicine, she was not otherwise affected.

Last week, Marisa had a party and everyone was invited except my daughter. To my knowledge, the girls haven’t had a falling out. I understand she can invite whomever she chooses to a party. However, I don’t understand how you can allow your child to exclude another, especially one who is a friend and teammate. How should I handle this? – Wondering

Dear Wondering: There is no excuse for parents to deliberately exclude one child out of an entire class. If it was the allergy, the parents should have explained that to you. It’s also possible Gaia’s invitation was lost in the mail, or if hand-delivered, Gaia may have misplaced it and felt too guilty to let on. The best thing you can do now is not make too much of this and show your daughter how to take the high road. Every unpleasantness is also a learning experience. However, if such exclusion continues, you should discuss it with the school principal.