Ask Aunt Cynthia a serial by Cynthia McCaffrey

This is the modern version of the old Dear Abby and Ask Ann Landers columns that appeared in newspapers around the USA in the 1960's and 1970's.

Ask Grandma becomes Ask Aunt Cynthia - Hello to all of you and welcome to my world! Thank you for joining me. My name is Cynthia, and I am here to answer your questions and hopefully help with your problems. My name (Cynthia) is Greek, although I'm Irish. (Green eyes and all). The name means, ‘The virgin Goddess of the hunt, and the moon; daughter of the Leto & twin sister to Apollo...." Blah, blah, blah. My Mother told me I was named after an Aunt I have never met. As for me, well I just really like my name, it's that simple.

A Mother's Love - I believe in God, and I honor His words, respect them, and try to understand them through the Holy Spirit. A mother demanded that her son sell drugs, and he did. Now, both of them are in jail. Could he have honored his mother by telling her that he respects her as his mother but refuses to sell drugs because that is both legally and morally wrong? Please, is there any scripture that can help me to understand?

Baby Brother - Two weeks ago my baby brother, who is 23, came to visit my husband and I. We have no children, yet we're both in our thirties, so we welcomed the company.

Cheating - I'm positive my husband is cheating on me, but he keeps denying it. This is causing some problems in our relationship, and we fight a lot. I was wondering if there was some way to prove what he's doing. I won't leave him, but I think I deserve to know the truth.

Don't Let The Holidays Get You Down - My husband and I are having our usual argument over how much and what to get our children. Our son is nineteen and our daughter is fourteen.

Family Dynamics - My Mom and I are having a big fight about my boyfriend. She says he's too old for me and is more suited to my older sister. (I'm seventeen and she's nineteen) My sister has begun making moves on him when he comes over. When I complain, my Mom says that's okay, and that's just the way sisters are. I say it's not fair I was going out with him first so she should leave him alone. Can you help?

Family Planning - I was wondering if you could help us. My wife and I are arguing about when is the right time to wean an infant. She claims it's perfectly normal for a two year old to still have a bottle. I think at a year and a half we should be considering weaning. Our baby isn't due until February but we are trying to iron out some of the kinks before the arrival. Can you tell us who's right, please?

For The Love Of Children - I need some advice; I hope you can help me. My girlfriend is acting really strange. She comes home late and tells me she had to work late. Yesterday was payday, and I glanced at her pay stub; her pay is exactly as it always has been. No overtime or extra vacation time.

Guide Them With A Gentle Hand - I have a three-year-old who will not listen to anything I say to her. When I get after her for being bad, she just looks at me and laughs. I hate to admit it, but I've even had to spank her a couple of times (when she was in danger of getting hurt). That too fell on deaf ears.

Is Blood Really Thicker Than Water? - I have a six year old step daughter who I believe is the spawn of the devil. I don't mean to sound flip, but this little girl is truly a bad child. She's been setting fires, running away and hiding for hours; the last time we had the police out searching for her. She will hit, scream, and swear at anyone she feels like doing it to. Short of killing someone, you name it and she has done it.

Life's Little Disappointments - This week I wanted to deal with getting a fair shake in life. I'm always saying, “If you expect life to be fair, then you're disillusioning yourself.” I say that not because I'm a cynic but because I believe it. It only makes sense to realize that some really crappy things happen to some really nice people. Sadly life is far from fair, but that's just the way it is.

Live and Let Live! - Why does it bother people when I show my boyfriend affection? He loves me and I love him (we're both men) so why shouldn't the world know we are in love. My straight friends have no problem showing their affections in public. Yet when my partner and I do the same they all shy away from us. I think this is pretty hypocritical on their behalf. What can I say to these people that could make them see how wrong and unfair this is to us?

Mother-in-Law - I've just given birth to my first child, a beautiful little girl. Even though she denies it, my mother-in-law thinks I'm an idiot when it comes to taking care of my baby. She's always looking over my shoulder whenever I'm trying to take care of my child. That wouldn't be so bad, but she's also always correcting me. The other day she came right out and said I wasn't holding the baby properly.

Parenting Today? - Hi, my name is Shirley, and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers on how to discipline my four-year-old son? He has terrible temper tantrums and screams at the top of his lungs if I put him in his room for a time out. I'm scared my neighbors will think I'm hurting him. But I know I have to keep him in control somehow. I'm just not sure what else to do with him. Can you help us?

Patience, Patience And More Patience - My four year old son (James) has slept with Daddy and me most of his young life. We realize this isn't a good thing, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we were forced to share a room for the last couple of years.

Qualifications - I have traveled most of my adult life, coast to coast in Canada, every two weeks. I have often gone as far south as Texas but that's a far south as I have been, yet. My Mom always said I was the only child, in a brood of seven children that was born with wanderlust. I love to travel and I love to meet new people.

Spanking - I don't know what you would call a bad fetish, but my girlfriend of five years can't seem to reach her climax unless I'm punishing her. The punishment varies, but it always has to be harsh enough to make her cry and beg me to stop.

Step Brother -My Mom doesn't know I'm writing to you. I don't think she'd believe it was me anyway, but I need to ask a question. My step-brother and I are in love, and we want to run away together, but he says we have to wait. I'm 16, and he's 19. I know he wants to save up more money for us to live on, but if we wait too long our parents will stop us some how.

Taking A Walk In The Real World - My husband is making me nuts. He thinks, just because he's the only one working, I'm living the life of a queen. We have three little ones, under the age of six! You can imagine what a day around here is like. The oldest is in school, but I have a two- and four-year-old to deal with at home. Some days it's as if I've lost my mind, and then he comes home and begins to bitch about everything that isn't done. I told him I want a house keeper, once a week, to help me keep the cobwebs away. He thought I was joking.

The Times They Are Changing - Very good question! Too bad there isn't any one standard rule to length of time for time outs. Yes I said it, and I will stand by the statement! I have gone completely cross-eyed reading websites, surfing through pediatricians. I have come across many suggested toddlers times outs. I have even braved the pages of dear old Dr. Spock, (no not the Vulcan), and it seems to me there simply isn't one firm answer to your question. What I will tell you is my idea of what a time out should be. I'll let you decide what you want to do.

Till Death Do You Part - I recently went out for a few drinks with some co-workers (all male); we went to a strip joint not far from work. One of the men started to whine about his overweight wife, and another started to complain about what a nag his wife was. Pretty soon they had all taken a turn gunning their spouses, and they turned to me, waiting for my main complaint. At that moment I considered lying to them, but I didn't see why I should; so I began to tell them all about my wife and our marriage.

Touchy Issues - Where do you stand on abortion? I made the mistake of bringing the subject up the other night. A co-worker is having a problem with his teen daughter, and it made me wonder about the man's stand in things.

Worried Mom and Dad - I am a proud Father of a 12-year-old daughter; she's really a good kid, but I'm concerned about one of her young male friends. The boy is grubby looking and hasn't any manners. I have always encouraged my child to have her friends come over to our house. I prefer to know where she is and what she's doing. This young man however doesn't like to visit her at home. He seems to always be coming up with things for them to do that take her away from home.