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Dear Annie: I consider
myself to be a self-aware
social media poster. However,
there is a family member
on Facebook who posts
her childcare needs at least
once a week. She posts the
day and time she needs and
has said the names of the
children who need a sitter.
She has three children.
Her circumstance is difficult
as she is going through
a divorce. I am not particularly
close with her, but not
in a bad way.
I, too, have been a single
mother and know how difficult
it can be to find cheap,
reliable childcare. There
is part of me that wants to
message her to tell her how
unsafe it is to continually
post when her children will
be alone with a sitter, but I
guess this is her business.
Annie, should I bring up my
concerns with her? — Worried
for the Kids
Dear Worried for the
Kids: She is a family member,
and you are both single
mothers. Yes, by all means
bring up your concerns with
her. Kids come first, and if
you think that what she is
doing is unsafe for them,
then say something sooner
rather than later.
Maybe even offer to help
take care of her kids when
she is in a pinch so that she
is not so desperate to post
it on social media. Perhaps
you could offer her some of
the ways you found a sitter
without announcing it to everyone
on social media.
Dear Annie: I was fortunate
to have found a
wonderful quiet condo in a
very expensive tourist town.
Although I'm renting, I
have done repairs and spent
money on my new "home,"
as I was planning to make
this my last move. I'm 70.
Everything was great,
including the semi-retired
neighbors and the office and
maintenance staff. It felt
like a community. Then the
elderly next-door neighbor
moved and a young working
lady moved in. The problem
is that she is obese. Her
footsteps can be heard and
felt in my unit. She wakes
between 4 and 5 a.m.
Because of the floor plan,
our bedrooms and bathrooms
are adjoining, and
I am woken up when she
gets up. I've left felt pads
for her bathroom cabinets
hoping that may be a hint,
but it seems to have made it
worse.
How do I tactfully tell
her that I hear everything,
including her bathroom use
(even the vomiting… bulimia?)
It's not like a noisy
neighbor with loud music.
I don't want to move
again, but I'm very stressed
about this. — Hearing Too
Much
Dear Hearing Too
Much: It is understandable
that you are stressed out
about this. Hearing someone
going to the bathroom,
no matter how much they
weigh, is disgusting. And
that's not something your
new neighbor can help.
It sounds like it could be
a building issue and that
the building is not properly
soundproofed. For the
time being, invest in some
good earplugs along with a
sound machine. After that,
speak with management
and tell them what is going
on. Here's hoping they will
have a solution. If not, it
might be time to pack up
and move.