What Is This, Ranch Dressing?

Emily Yoffe

Photograph by Teresa Castracane.

Emily Yoffe, aka Dear Prudence, is on Washingtonpost.com weekly to chat live with readers. Emily is currently on vacation, but unpublished questions from a previous chat are below. (Sign up here?to get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week. Read Prudie?s?Slate columns?here. Send questions to Prudence at prudence@slate.com.)

Emily Yoffe: Good afternoon, everyone. I look forward to your questions.

Q. Clean Food Army!: My daughter Bella has a great playgroup that meets once a week after school. We were REALLY lucky to get into this group. The girls come from some of the wealthiest families at the school, and since our family is more working class, we love that Bella is able to see how the other side lives and maybe even look for something to aspire to one day. So far Bella has had so much fun with all the girls. But last week I got a nasty email from one of the mothers. I sent some homemade cookies and store-bought veggies and dip for the snack last week, and apparently this was not up to snuff! The mothers said that my vegetables were clearly not homegrown and organic and that they could taste the pesticides and preservatives on them. They asked if I knew that ranch dip is high in cholesterol and saturated fat which leads to heart disease. I was in tears reading this email. Their assumption that I had no idea how to feed my daughter was so insulting. I emailed them back saying that I was unsure what particular brands of veggies, dip, and baking items to buy, and received another email suggesting I start a garden. Prudie, we live in an apartment complex. I am unsure how to respond. I really, really want my daughter to be happy and have friends with the right values and aspirations. But I have no idea how to make these women happy. I went to the farmers market an hour away last weekend to look for some appropriate items to send for next week, but the market was so expensive. I don't want my daughter to get kicked out of this playgroup, especially now that she's so happy. How can I handle these clean-food moms?

A: These moms should register themselves with the FDA?just think, they have a bionic ability to detect chemicals at parts per billion! If you want to have your daughter hang out with friends with the right values, you should consider finding another playgroup. You simply want your daughter to get along with nice friends, so please stop injecting your own social anxiety into what should be a carefree time. The other mothers have demonstrated that their values include insults and superiority. Ignore their jibes and skip the farmers market?carrots are carrots. And if your vegetables aren't good enough for them, their group isn't good enough for you.

Q. No Sex, No More Relationship: My girlfriend and I are about to start our junior and sophomore years at college, respectively. She's a wonderful girl, full of life, funny, and very intelligent. We've even discussed the possibility of getting married in a year and a half or so when I'll be close to graduating. The problem is that my girlfriend skipped a couple of grades in school and graduated high school pretty young, so she won't be 18 for another three months. She's still a virgin, while I'm a bit more experienced. Being celibate since last fall hasn't been easy for me, but I love my girlfriend so it's worth it. The thing is she's starting to get really frustrated at still being a virgin even after being in a steady relationship for a year. She really wants to have sex, but since she's still a minor and I'm not, I'm afraid I could get in trouble for statutory rape. She said if I don't show her I both love and trust her by sleeping with her, she might leave me and find a boyfriend that will meet all of her needs. I can't imagine life without her, and I really don't want to let her go so easily. I'm really sure neither she nor her parents would ever report me for statutory rape, but it's still a risk I would rather not take. Should I give in to save our relationship, or should I just keep trying to convince her that after all the time and effort we put into our relationship, waiting three more months isn't such a big deal and hope she doesn't leave me?

A: Check out the age of consent in your state. If she can consent, and does, and her parents are not crazy, your fears are unfounded about prosecution. However, please put aside thoughts of marriage. She's still a teenager and you two haven't had sex. She's threatening to find another boyfriend because you won't deflower her. You two are way too young and immature to be talking about the rest of your lives. And if she won't respect your unease about waiting a few more months until she's legally an adult, then maybe you two just aren't meant for each other.

Q. The Other Child: I'm a bit uncomfortable even asking this question but here we go. I met the man I am currently engaged to over two years ago and we have been great together. Our children are all adults. (He has two and I have one.) I liked the idea that our children were grown but we were still young enough to enjoy life without the issues that come with younger children (I'm 44, he is 40). The problem is he still wants to "father" the son of his former girlfriend. He dated this lady for almost eight years and it was tumultuous at best. Her son is now 14 and he still wants to be dad to her son. The son is a nice boy and pretty low impact but I still have problems with the continued relationship. My fianc? still converses with the ex-GF, but, knowing I don't really like it, he does not tell me when he speaks to her. His actions when he picks up her son for father/son time implies he would like us to act like a happy family together. I just don't feel it. I get along great with his children and I try very hard not to give his ex's son any impression that I don't really care for the association. I pep talk myself the entire time during his visits but it bothers me. What is the best way to be OK with this situation? The fianc? says this relationship with the child is important to him because he made a promise that he would be his father when the child asked years ago.

A: Your fianc? was involved with a woman for eight years so he was the de facto stepfather to her son for most of his young life. Instead of disappearing, your fianc? wants to honor his connection and commitment to this boy by continuing to be a fatherly presence. How admirable! I would think you would find your boyfriend's relationship to this teenager one of the reasons you love your fianc?. But here you are, making your boyfriend sneak around when he talks to the mother of his "son" because he knows it upsets you. In essence you are planning to marry a man with a 14-year-old boy. If you wish the kid would just go away, then you have to realize you're the one who needs to take a hike. I don't care if you're "not feeling it." Fake it, and get to know this kid or break off the engagement.

Q. Family: I live with, and care for (cook, clean, drive) my nearly 90-year-old grandfather. He spends a few hours a week with his girlfriend, who joins us for lunch occasionally, plays cards with him, and generally seems to enjoy his (and my) company. It's good for both of them to have companionship around their own age (I can't relate that well to him, I'm more than 60 years younger than he is), and all three of us get along really well. My problem is that recently, and unexpectedly, the girlfriend asked me to refer to her as "Grandma." I think I understand why. She lives in a retirement home, and her kids and grandkids don't visit her, whereas I am one of the first people to show up at the home if she's having a bad day. I genuinely like this woman, and I am glad she's a part of my grandfather's life (even if I am grossed out by what I know of their sex life), but her request makes me uncomfortable. Since her request, I've found it tougher to talk to her. I do talk to her, but for some reason, it no longer feels the same. I also haven't called her "Grandma" yet, even though she introduces me to other people as her grandson. Is there a way to politely, and without upsetting her, explain that while she is absolutely a wonderful person in my grandfather's life, and mine, I don't think I can go along with this?

A: How lucky for these two old people that you are in their lives. (And I understand your own distaste, but I'm charmed to hear that your 90-year-old grandfather is still getting it on!) I agree that his girlfriend has made an awkward request, but it's a simple thing for you to do to make an old woman happy. I have a suggestion for a compromise: I bet it would be easier if instead of calling her "Grandma" you called her "Grandma Mildred." And when she introduces you as her grandson, just smile and go along. As the letter about the 14-year-old boy shows, family feeling doesn't require shared DNA.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=3c81f8d214710f7a8e00671576710e26

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