ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm afraid my past embarrassing moments will make my boyfriend see me in a different light. I've been dating "Bryan" for two years now, and he is insisting on coming to my hometown to meet my friends, as I have met his. We both live in the city where we work, but I grew up as an overweight kid in a low-income household with ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 45-year-old man, and I thought I had finally married the love of my life just six months ago. My husband and I share many of the same values, dreams and goals, and I was overjoyed to have found someone I could build a future with. We dated for eight months prior to our marriage, but since getting married, he has started to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm having a hard time controlling my shopping habits. I often find myself buying things on impulse, which leads to regret afterwards. I want to take better care of my money, but breaking the habit of spontaneous spending seems really challenging.

I've tried setting financial goals by using digital spreadsheets, manual logging ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: For the past few years, I have been getting together for dinner with a few other women with whom I used to work. When the first woman left for a new job, another woman started a text group so we can all stay in touch. That same woman would organize a dinner a few times per year. That was basically the only communication among the...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 17-year-old daughter recently posted a picture of herself on Instagram. She was so excited because the photos were from a concert where her favorite band performed. Someone she thought was her friend took a screenshot of that photo and used it in an incredibly hurtful way: She posted the picture on a private Snapchat story and...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm facing a situation with my 16-year-old niece, who is in a relationship with a 19-year-old boy from our neighborhood. I'm deeply concerned because this boy has a reputation for being a bad influence, and I fear that my niece might be negatively affected by this relationship. My niece is currently living with me after her ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just got promoted to senior manager at the finance firm where I work. The company is less than five years old, and, although it has been successful, there's still a lot to be done to stabilize it, just like any other startup.

I was not the original choice for this promotion; when I tried to gossip around about why I was ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: When the pandemic hit, I gained over 45 pounds. This change was quite noticeable on my body, especially since I am only about 5'2". My boyfriend, a fitness trainer, has never given me any reason to feel insecure about my body. However, I can't stop comparing my physique to his clients' when we work out together, which makes me ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 35-year-old man who recently decided to get a nose job after years of feeling insecure about my appearance. Growing up, I was always self-conscious about my nose; it was large, and I felt it didn't fit my face. For as long as I can remember, I've dealt with teasing and comments that made me feel like my nose was a defining ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I accidentally discovered through a viral TikTok video that my childhood friend has been using my personal stories and experiences as material for her stand-up comedy routine. We used to be neighbors, and naturally, we used to share everything growing up, from secrets to dreams, and I always trusted her to keep my personal life ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been seeing a guy for the past four months, and while things started well, I'm still unsure of where I stand in his life. We live in different cities, so our relationship has been long-distance, making it even harder to figure out what's happening between us.

Recently, I brought up the topic of our relationship status, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm feeling hurt after a conversation with my brother. He told me that I was fat and suggested that I lose some weight. I'm 30 years old, and I just had my second child a few months ago. Between taking care of my newborn and my older child, plus working full time, I've been completely overwhelmed. Sleep is a luxury, and finding ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister, who is eight years older than me, showed up late to my wedding and missed nearly half of the ceremony. As my now-husband and I were exchanging vows, she made a grand entrance that was anything but discreet, causing a huge disruption. To make matters worse, she was wearing a white gown, which felt completely ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have recently become part of a new social cooking group, and while I have been enjoying the sense of community and shared passion for food, I have noticed that some members have been sharing my recipes and personal cooking techniques online without my consent, just changing up details like switching basil leaves to onions. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 16-year-old teenage daughter landed a part-time job this semester, and I can tell she's really feeling the pressure of trying to juggle work, school and her social life all at once. I want to support her independence and growth, but I can see how stressed out she is getting. I'm trying to figure out how to help her balance ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 26-year-old freelance writer who's been struggling to find a steady stream of clients and projects. A few months ago, a friend generously offered to refer me to someone in his network, but they have started making demands for quick turnarounds and extra revisions beyond what was initially agreed upon. They often communicate...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister and I co-manage our family business, a local bakery. We're clashing over its direction: I prefer to maintain our traditional baking techniques and recipes, which have served us well for years. She wants to import and sell modern, trendy breads from other shops to diversify our offerings. In short, she wants to hop on ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just dropped my daughter off at college last week, and she's already asking me to come back and pick her up. She's saying that college isn't for her, but she hasn't even started classes yet. This has been an emotional time for both of us as I am a single mom and she is my only daughter. She's always been introverted and has ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a falling out with a friend recently, and I'm not sure if I want to continue the relationship at all. She is probably a certifiable narcissist. Everything revolves around her. She needs to be the center of attention -- always. She revels in making quips about everyone and everything, and her comments are often biting.

I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a husband seeking advice. My wife has been engaging in a practice she calls "fridgescaping," which is currently a viral trend on TikTok, where she decorates the inside of our fridge with vases and flowers to make it look pretty. While I appreciate her creativity, I find it to be overly extravagant and inconvenient as I often ...Read more