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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Trust dad until you develop 'Spidey sense'

By: Miss Lonelyhearts

Posted: 09/11/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I met a hot-looking guy at a dance club on the weekend and let him take me home. Now he knows where I live, and he's seen my house. Not good, as it turns out. Yesterday, he called me for dinner and a movie. I said I wasn't interested, but thanks for the ride home. He tried to make me explain why I wouldn't go out with him again. He started raising his voice and called me a name and really had me up against the wall. My dad heard from the den, came and grabbed my phone. He talked to the guy for a few minutes and then told him not to call again or he would call the police. Then my dad told me not to go to that nightclub again for quite a while because guys like that are dangerous. My dad is a psychologist and thinks he knows everything. How was I supposed to know the guy was a scary dude when he seemed so nice that first night? I don't want to do what my dad asks, because all my friends go there. I think dad is overreacting. What do you think? -- Can Take Care of Myself! Winnipeg

Dear Take Care: Trust your dad on this. You've proved your judgment of people hasn't fully developed yet. You didn't detect anything "off" about this fellow at the club, didn't have "Spidey senses" going off on the way home. And, you were foolish enough to invite a stranger to drive you home in his car in the first place. That's not taking care of yourself. He could have driven you anywhere in that car, locked the doors and really hurt you. If this guy is angry with you, the first place he's going to look for you is the club where you met. Your dad knows how people think. Trust him on this one. He spoke to this guy for a few minutes, got a quick read, and it was scary.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: This is really hard to take. My wife wants me to move out "for a few months" until she gets on her feet with our new baby. She says her sister, who is much more patient and likes to help with babies, will move in and I can go "stay somewhere else and de-stress." She acted like she was doing me a favour. This is my baby too and I love him. I admit I can't stand it when he cries and I use earplugs so I can sleep through the night and go to work with clear head. I have a very important job that requires absolute alertness. So why do I have to move out? Is she just trying to get rid of me and then won't let me move back? -- Going Crazy

Dear Crazy: You're acting like a second baby -- no help at all. You have a new baby and can't stand the sound of it crying in the night? That's what babies do! They drink milk, which runs out and they get so hungry they wake up and cry. If you only drank milk, you'd be up in the middle of the night looking for food yourself. Instead of being an impatient bedmate for your wife and stuffing your ears, take part. New dads all over this city will tell you they do laundry, rock babies, wash dishes, take colicky babies for midnight rides in the car. Your wife is saying she needs someone to be an interim mate and she will see how she feels about you after this crisis is over. I wouldn't bet on her wanting you back for the easy times. It's time you popped those earplugs out, and pitched in, or you're going to lose your little family.

lovecoach@hotmail.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 11, 2012 D4

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