Abigail Van Buren, known as Dear Abby, has offered guidance to a mother who feels her adult daughter is being disloyal by frequently complaining about her husband.
The concerned mother, identified as 'Hear No Evil,' wrote to Dear Abby expressing her discomfort with her daughter's habit of confiding negative details about her husband's behavior. The daughter has reportedly stated that she confides in her father because her mother won't listen, implying that her friends also share such marital grievances with their parents.
Dear Abby explained that there are no universal rules governing such family dynamics and that each household finds its own way to manage these situations. The columnist suggested that if the mother dislikes being her daughter's marriage advisor and her husband does not mind, this arrangement might be the best solution for everyone involved. However, Dear Abby recommended that these conversations should take place away from the mother's presence.
In the same column, Dear Abby also addressed other reader queries. To a reader concerned about her husband leaving lights on, she suggested installing motion-sensing light switches to save electricity and money. To another reader who wished to reclaim jewelry given to her son's now-estranged wife, Dear Abby advised that heirloom engagement rings should be returned if there are no children, while a separately gifted band might be recovered through a polite request.