Columns

From a recent Dear Prudence column: Is it OK to change your mind about having a baby? My husband and I have been together for over five years, and one of the things that we agreed upon completely during that time was that neither of us wanted children. I truly never thought I would. Over the last few years, though, I have had many friends, family, and co-workers have children, and for the first time been exposed to the joys and awesomeness of having kids (instead of just the horror stories). And I’ve found that my thoughts are turning more and more toward wanting a child. I have brought this up with…

“I know that when I made the decision to allow an extremely attractive stranger to live with me I was taking a dangerous step…”

“I have been dating a guy since August who has been separated and living in a different state from his estranged wife, “Betty,” for sell over a year now.”

“My boyfriend and I met each other 10 years ago, and we got together a couple times then. Four years ago he finally asked me to be his girlfriend…”

“I recently had a brief, but somewhat intense, relationship with someone I thought had the potential to go the distance.”

“A very close friend, “Emily,” recently asked me and another good friend, “Jen,” to be bridesmaids in her upcoming wedding.”

“My boyfriend and I have been dating for nine months now and I have not met his seven-year-old son yet. My boyfriend knows I want to meet him but…”

I am currently 19 years old and going to college. I am moving out in five months to attend a university. My mother has paid for everything my whole life and reminds me of it every chance she gets. I work full time now, so she doesn’t pay for my food, gas or clothing. When I was 15, I was totally in love with this 18-year-old guy that my mother forbid me to see. I decided to start sneaking out to see him and ended up losing my virginity to him. Of course, my mother found out and took things to the extreme. She tried to put the guy in jail, but…

For my first three years of college I had a small and incredibly tight-knit friend group. My senior year I moved in with my then girlfriend, Jill, and at the same time the group fractured. My two closest guy friends, Ron and David (who are inseparable), completely stopped talking to my girlfriend and me. We were both completely crushed and it caused a lot of sadness and anger in our house for that year. Towards the end of that year, Ron’s Mom asked me to go out with her for lunch. She had done a lot for me over the years so I felt like I had to say yes, even though…