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‘Monsters’ make mom miss sleep

Dear Annie. I have a 6-year-old daughter who won’t go to sleep on her own. She has an innate fear of staying alone in her room. We have tried every way we can think to motivate her to feel comfortable. We reassure her that she’s safe, that we’re in the room next door, that every night she sleeps safely, that we perform monster checks. My daughter was a good sleeper until a few months ago, when she started to develop nighttime anxiety. Now she forces one of us to sleep in bed with her. My other two children are great sleepers. They will close the door and go right to sleep through ...

Democrats’ (not entirely) ‘bleak prospects’

In my line of work, I run into more than a few Democrats whose mood swings of late are frankly semi-wild. Last November, when their party won 41 Republican U.S. House seats and took the House majority from the GOP, Democrats were almost giddy, increasingly confident that voters in 2020 would see the error of their ways and make Donald Trump the first American president to be rejected for reelection since George H.W. Bush in 1992. Lately, however, Democrats are less bullish. The economic news, even with talk of a trade war with China, has been exceptional: The nation has its lowest ...

Pain causing short temper

Dear Annie: I have chronic back pain thanks to sciatica. I chose to treat it with physical therapy and exercise, and I take muscle relaxers and or anti-inflammatory drugs when the pain really flares up. I chose to forego all painkillers, be they opium-based or synthetic. The problem is that the pain can make me very impatient and snappy. I have to put up with a lot at work, and on the street and with my neighbors. But my mother and father’s behavior makes it difficult for me to be patient. They both talk down to me, interrupt me constantly, question and criticize personal decisions, ...

Higher education in America

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at Ohio University Richard Vedder’s new book, “Restoring the Promise,” published by the Independent Institute based in Oakland, California, is about the crisis in higher education. He summarizes the three major problems faced by America’s colleges and universities. First, our universities “are vastly too expensive, often costing twice as much per student compared with institutions in other industrialized democracies.” Second, though there are some important exceptions, students “on average are learning relatively little, spend ...

When friends fill void left by family

Dear Annie: My husband and I moved to another state following our retirements a few years ago. We moved to a resort town six hours away from my brother “Billy” and his wife, “Patty.” We encouraged them to visit, but they gave one excuse after another. Billy eventually told me that they were “just homebodies” who don’t like to travel. My husband, “Bob,” has been quite ill. In the last year, he was hospitalized six times and had to be ventilated five times. Billy was aware of my husband’s dire condition but did not once call or text to offer any support. I thank God ...

Make new friends, keep the old

Dear Annie: I’m having a hard time trying to keep in touch with my boarding school friends. We went our separate ways after graduating high school and were adamant about keeping in touch. Lately, I feel like we are drifting apart because I’m always the one having to reach out. And whenever I try to see if we can FaceTime or talk, they come up with excuses. I guess I’m frustrated because I’m always making the effort — from reaching out to being the one to fly up and visit. I miss back in high school when we’d always hang out. — Boarding School Friendships Dear Boarding ...