Advice - The Washington Post

(Illustration by Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post)

September 6

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Latest Advice

Carolyn Hax: Nervous driver wants to stop chauffeuring critical mother-in-law

By Carolyn Hax6 hours ago

Asking Eric: Sister’s ex doesn’t know she’s coming back to town

By R. Eric Thomas6 hours ago

Miss Manners: Great friends don’t always make great hosts

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina Martin6 hours ago

Telling depressed husband no to a second baby. Give advice to this Hax question.

By Carolyn Hax and Haben Kelati15 hours ago

Ask Sahaj: My husband gets frustrated when I try to help care for his mom

By Sahaj Kaur Kohli21 hours ago

Work Advice: Office ‘conversation hogs’ talk back

By Karla L. Miller23 hours ago

Carolyn Hax: How does divorced parent adjust to having less time with son?

By Carolyn HaxYesterday

Miss Manners: No need to inquire about house rules at the door

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinYesterday

Asking Eric: Father-in-law’s partner makes visits unbearable

By R. Eric ThomasYesterday

Stay-at-home dad does chores only for kid, not wife. Hax readers give advice.

By Carolyn Hax and Haben Kelati2 days ago

We’re scared our screen-addicted teen is a pathological liar

By Meghan Leahy2 days ago

Miss Manners: People are scared of my large dog

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina Martin2 days ago

Asking Eric: Our 11-year-old nephew is a bully. His parents don’t care.

By R. Eric Thomas2 days ago

Carolyn Hax: Imbalance in visits with in-laws vs. parents starts to chafe

By Carolyn Hax2 days ago

Asking Eric: I’m nervous about attending my estranged son’s wedding

By R. Eric Thomas3 days ago

Carolyn Hax: Wife ‘ticks every box,’ but newlywed wants out of their marriage

By Carolyn Hax3 days ago

Miss Manners: How to respond when asked if I breastfeed my kids?

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina Martin3 days ago

Carolyn Hax: Husband declares daughter, 15, will ‘always be an underachiever’

By Carolyn Hax4 days ago

Asking Eric: My husband doesn’t like my mom. What do I do?

By R. Eric Thomas4 days ago

Miss Manners: Neighbor’s late son’s car is in my parking spot

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina Martin4 days ago

Featured Writers

Carolyn Hax

Carolyn Hax writes a daily advice column for The Washington Post and has a weekly live online discussion.

Ask Carolyn a question

Sahaj Kaur Kohli

Sahaj Kaur Kohli is a therapist and the creator of Brown Girl Therapy.

Ask Sahaj a question

Elaine Welteroth

Elaine Welteroth writes the Ask Elaine advice column for The Washington Post.

Ask Elaine a question

Karla L. Miller

Karla L. Miller offers weekly advice on workplace dramas and traumas.

Ask Karla a question

Need advice? Join columnist Carolyn Hax’s weekly chat (Sept. 6 | 12 p.m. ET)

Advice columnist Carolyn Hax answers your questions about the strange train we call life.

Friday, September 6, at 12 p.m. EDT

More live chats

(Nick Galifianakis/For The Washington Post)

Telling depressed husband no to a second baby. Give advice to this Hax question.

Every week, we ask readers to think like an advice columnist and submit their advice to a question Carolyn Hax hasn’t answered.

September 5

Carolyn Hax: How does divorced parent adjust to having less time with son?

September 5

Stay-at-home dad does chores only for kid, not wife. Hax readers give advice.

September 4

Carolyn Hax: Imbalance in visits with in-laws vs. parents starts to chafe

September 4

Carolyn Hax: Wife ‘ticks every box,’ but newlywed wants out of their marriage

September 3

Carolyn Hax archives

The Best of Carolyn Hax

Recent Carolyn Hax Live Chats

Carolyn Hax chat: Relative polices what everyone eats at family gatherings

August 30

Carolyn Hax chat: Jealous mom fantasized about son’s new wife dying

August 23

Carolyn Hax chat: Should I let my bullying sister babysit my son?

August 2

Carolyn Hax chat: Husband says hyphenating baby’s last name is confusing

July 26

More Carolyn Hax chats

NewsletterFRIDAYS

Carolyn Hax’s live Q&A: Sign up to get an email alert when Carolyn Hax’s weekly advice Q&A begins each Friday.

Asking Eric: Sister’s ex doesn’t know she’s coming back to town

She called off an engagement and moved away because she met someone else. Should her sibling warn her ex-fiance she’s moving back to town?

September 6

Asking Eric: Father-in-law’s partner makes visits unbearable

September 5

Asking Eric: Our 11-year-old nephew is a bully. His parents don’t care.

September 4

Asking Eric: I’m nervous about attending my estranged son’s wedding

September 3

Asking Eric archive

Miss Manners: Great friends don’t always make great hosts

They felt disrespected by how terribly their friends hosted them.

September 6

Miss Manners: No need to inquire about house rules at the door

September 5

Miss Manners: People are scared of my large dog

September 4

Miss Manners: How to respond when asked if I breastfeed my kids?

September 3

Miss Manners archive

Ask Sahaj: My husband gets frustrated when I try to help care for his mom

Is this letter writer making things worse by trying to help their husband care for his mom?

September 5

Ask Sahaj: My dad says my brother gets the family estate because of ‘tradition’

August 29

Ask Sahaj: If trolls think Harris is a ‘DEI hire,’ what do people think of me?

August 22

Ask Sahaj: I had big expectations for my birthday. My boyfriend let me down.

August 15

Ask Sahaj archives

Ask Elaine: Is it a bad idea to interview for a new job in my third trimester?

How does she navigate interviewing for a new job while she’s in the third trimester of her pregnancy?

August 27

Ask Elaine: I’m too ashamed to face a friend after our argument

July 30

Ask Elaine: My daughter-in-law keeps asking me about my son’s flaws

June 25

Ask Elaine: My mother keeps dumping boxes of unwanted gifts on me

May 28

Ask Elaine archives

More Parenting Advice

(Illustration by María Alconada Brooks/The Washington Post; iStock)

How do I get my 14-year-old daughter to open up to me about her love life?

A parent looks for ways to encourage their 14-year-old to open up more about her struggles.

July 24

Other parents get upset with how my 11-year-old interacts with their kids

July 17

How do we start having family meetings with our 8-year-old?

July 10

How do I get my husband to understand our baby isn’t ‘crying for attention’?

July 3

Parenting advice archive

More Work Advice

(iStock)

Work Advice: Office ‘conversation hogs’ talk back

In response to a recent column on overtalkers at work, readers offer observations and solutions from their own workplaces.

September 5

Work Advice: How to handle a coworker who hijacks conversations

August 29

Work Advice: Defending your performance without being ‘defensive’

August 22

Work Advice: Can I opt out of discussing religious podcasts at work?

August 15

Work advice archive

Carolyn Hax: A 26-year-old feels ripped apart by his parents’ messy divorce

By Carolyn HaxSunday, September 1

Asking Eric: My ex-friend’s dead cat is buried in my yard. Do I return it?

By R. Eric ThomasSunday, September 1

Miss Manners: When passengers place their feet on the car dashboard

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinSaturday, August 31

Carolyn Hax: Moving for new job and life means leaving 81-year-old mom behind

By Carolyn HaxSaturday, August 31

Asking Eric: Daughter-in-law wants to be too close

By R. Eric ThomasSaturday, August 31

Carolyn Hax: Rude guy thinks his partner ‘poisoned’ their friends against him

By Carolyn HaxFriday, August 30

Asking Eric: Grieving daughter won’t let parent sell childhood home

By R. Eric ThomasFriday, August 30

Miss Manners: Caterer responds rudely to allergy question at wedding

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinFriday, August 30

Stay-at-home dad does chores only for kid, not wife. Give advice to this Hax question.

By Carolyn Hax and Haben KelatiThursday, August 29

Ask Sahaj: My dad says my brother gets the family estate because of ‘tradition’

By Sahaj Kaur KohliThursday, August 29

Work Advice: How to handle a coworker who hijacks conversations

By Karla L. MillerThursday, August 29

Asking Eric: Partner’s mom doesn’t want to get to know me because of his ex

By R. Eric ThomasThursday, August 29

Carolyn Hax: Divorce complicates kids’ visits to their dying grandfather

By Carolyn HaxThursday, August 29

Miss Manners: Friend changed baby’s diaper on my brand new couch

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinThursday, August 29

Husband puts too much pressure on our athlete son. Hax readers give advice.

By Carolyn Hax and Haben KelatiWednesday, August 28

My son won’t go to school, take his medication or see a professional. What do I do?

By Meghan LeahyWednesday, August 28

Asking Eric: ‘Is it creepy for me to still feel so physically attracted to my wife?’

By R. Eric ThomasWednesday, August 28

Carolyn Hax: Scofflaw in-law is ‘outraged’ to be banned from family lake house

By Carolyn HaxWednesday, August 28

Miss Manners: Groom wants to exclude brother’s girlfriend from wedding party

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinWednesday, August 28

Ask Elaine: Is it a bad idea to interview for a new job in my third trimester?

By Elaine WelterothTuesday, August 27

Miss Manners: Should vegan relatives serve guests non-vegan dishes when hosting?

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin and Jacobina MartinTuesday, August 27

Carolyn Hax: Family leaves Thanksgiving invitation hanging for months

By Carolyn HaxTuesday, August 27

Asking Eric: Once distant father now demands child’s help

By R. Eric ThomasTuesday, August 27

Carolyn Hax: When parents divorce, does school-year timing matter for the kids?

By Carolyn HaxMonday, August 26