Relationships - In General
Brother blackmailed over condoms
Dear Straight Talk: I'm 16, sharing a room with my 13-year-old sister because our single-parent mom can’t afford otherwise. My sister snooped, found my hidden condoms and now she's blackmailing me. I have to pay her from my…
6 Comments
15-year-old girl wants to spend break with boyfriend
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I am in a long-distance relationship and see my boyfriend every couple weeks if I’m lucky. February break is coming up and I want to stay at his house. We’re both 15 with crazy hormones, but I still…
2 Comments
Generous Aunt gets no thanks
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: Each year I give my niece and nephew an expensive gift of something they want or need. I often include money. If I'm there for the holidays, they say thank you but I have never once received a thank-you letter.…
3 Comments
Dad wants to understand today’s dating scene
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: My stepdaughter is 17, intelligent, popular and attractive. She attended prom last month with a lot of friends, which is how she always goes out. I’m not aware…
3 Comments
Boy’s girlfriend too much like Mom
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m a 17-year-old guy in a pretty serious relationship with my girlfriend. We’ve been together almost a year and are sexually active. The problem is, she…
3 Comments
Hookups according to today’s young men
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I counsel teens on college and career choices and have been learning about “hookup” culture. I’m concerned that sexual activity, starting with girls…
2 Comments
Fathers play a major role in child’s success
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I am stepfather to three teenagers. I have attended several high school commencements and have noticed a pattern of students thanking their moms but never their dads.…
2 Comments
“Friends with benefits” at corner of Heartbreak and Pain
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: A boy I like asked if I wanted to be “friends with benefits” instead of boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re both 18, seniors in high school, and I use…
7 Comments
Millennial Generation creating a kinder, smarter world—Part I
DEAR READERS: The young people on this panel range from age 12 to 24. They are part of the Millennial Generation, born from 1982- 2001. The most striking thing about “Milllennials” is that they grew…
2 Comments
Should daughter be allowed on vacation with boyfriend and his family?
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m 16 and my boyfriend is 17. We’ve been going out for nine months. His family has invited me to spend the week after Christmas at their cabin. I really…
