My niece and my nephew are only five years apart, but they were raised in radically different ways. My niece was expected to have straight A’s in all her honor classes and be a star athlete. Her ...

Imagine being in your early 20s, barely figuring out your own budget and suddenly becoming the legal guardian of an 8-year-old. That was me three months ago. Overnight, my routine of instant oatmeal ...

DEAR ABBY: My niece, “Elle,” and her husband, “Liam,” have been self-employed for 20 years, but due to the economy, Liam decided to go into the workforce. He is now employed at a state job with great ...

Becca had been looking forward to a quiet, romantic weekend to celebrate her birthday. But just as they were about to leave, her husband dropped a surprise. They’d be bringing his 6-year-old niece ...

Dear Eric: I grew up with family members who made it their mission to tell everybody else how to live their life. Because of this contempt for people who have that insatiable need to control others, I ...

DEAR ERIC: Our niece (my husband’s brother’s daughter) is expecting her first child. While we are very happy for her, the way she announced her news, and some of her past actions, have affected my ...

DEAR ABBY: My niece is getting married. We have received a wedding invitation, RSVP and all, but it’s addressed only to my two 11-year-old identical twin daughters. My husband and I are not invited to ...

Dear Eric: My 35-year-old niece married a 45-year-old man with two teenage kids in a small ceremony. I have always been close ...