There are too many excellent advice columns to keep up with, so we're committed to bringing you links to the best advice column questions and answers every week. Here's a roundup of the most interesting, thought-provoking and surprising questions that our favorite columnists addressed in recent days.

What Should I Do After My Employee Saw A Text In Which I Prayed God Would Remove Her From Our Workplace?

I find myself in a pickle and am a nervous wreck. I have been a manager for two years and it has not been easy.

The manager before me was stepping down and badmouthed me during a staff meeting she held with the employees prior to my arrival. It was hell when I arrived. One particular employee undermines everything I say and new rules that I put into place. She is very passive-aggressive and nothing is ever her fault. I have been fed up with it and I asked my sister, who is a minister, to put a request on her prayer list. The request was to remove this employee and any other problem employees from the facility and to make the facility peaceful. Well, I accidentally sent the text to an employee with a similar sounding name, and she showed it to the employee. I feel like a complete idiot. What should I do?

[Inc.]

Alison Green advises the letter writer to apologize to their employee and start managing her more actively. "It's an adversarial message to have out there and is likely to cause significant tension and even hostility in some of your work relationships," she writes. "It also makes you look weak to anyone who hears about it because it implies that you're turning to prayer instead of actively managing your team." Read the rest of her answer.

Six Years After My Now-Husband Got His Ex And Me Pregnant Around The Same Time, How Can I Spend Less Time With My Stepson?

I’m a stepmom in a blended family. My husband has a 5-year-old son, "Corey," from his first marriage, and together we have a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. We used to have Corey on Sunday afternoons, but his mom took a new job when he started kindergarten and pushed for custody changes. Parenting two kids all week is exhausting, and now we have Corey Friday through Sunday every week too. Corey has a lot of trouble every time he switches over from his mom's house to ours, and tattles that his stepsister "isn't following the rules" — but it's because his mom is a helicopter parent, while our house is about independence-building. He's clingy and needs help with everything, and the weekend is miserable for everyone.

Corey's aunt takes him after school four days a week, but not on Fridays. This means we have to arrange once-a-week afterschool care for him, which is expensive and inconvenient, and I usually end up having to be the one who leaves work early for pickup because that care ends at 4:45 p.m. I'm exhausted by this and the full weekend of managing our two kids plus Corey that comes afterward, including driving him to activities, like soccer games, that his mom is happy to sign him up for and then leave to us to deal with. I need Corey's aunt, at the very least, to take him on Fridays to make it fair, but she refuses because she blames me for her sister's divorce. When I asked my husband to talk to his ex and her sister about making the childcare arrangement fairer, he said he'd do it but then made excuses and never did. I know the divorce was unfriendly, but it's been nearly five years and I'm tired of dealing with this. Corey would benefit from more predictability with his aunt, I know. I also think if he wasn't scheduled for weekend activities he'd become more independent. I can't get any support for any of this! How do I get my calm weekends back?

[Slate]

Michelle Herman urges the letter writer to figure out how to care for Corey the way he deserves. "This is a 5-year-old whose father left him and his mother,” she writes. "For Corey's entire life, his dad has had another family, including children he seems to be more devoted to; Corey 'gets to' spend limited time with his dad — one afternoon a week, for years! — and his dad's second wife makes it very clear that having him around more than those few hours once a week is a burden." Read the rest of her answer.

Should I Work Harder To Overlook My Boyfriend's Physical Appearance, Which Disgusts Me?

I've been seeing a man for about a year. For the most part, we get along fine. We spend a lot of time together, and he professes his love for me. His intentions are to be together forever, although there has not been a proposal. I think I could continue this relationship indefinitely.

There's just one thing: I'm not physically attracted to him. He is presentable and well-groomed, but it can't compensate for the fact that he is homely. I am, to put it plainly, a beautiful woman. I have always dated "in my league."

I am trying hard not to be shallow, but this bothers me greatly. Sometimes I'm just disgusted. I know we'll both age, but until then, he'll still be ugly. I do have feelings for him, so should I try harder to overlook his defects?

[UExpress]

Abigail Van Buren counsels the letter writer to break up with her boyfriend. "The man you are writing about deserves someone who is more focused on inner qualities than you seem capable of," she writes. "Forcing yourself to like him should not be necessary." Read the rest of her answer.

Should I Save Money By Moving In With An Older Man I Recently Met Who Said I Can Repay Him By Having His Children?

I recently met a nice older man online.

After a few emails and phone calls, "Rob" and I went on several dates.

Despite the difference in our ages (I'm 30, and he's closer to 60), we have many common interests and enjoy spending time together.

Romantically, he is quite shy. So far, just hand holding on walks and a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

Conversation the other night turned to the subject of money.

I mentioned how the lease to my barely affordable apartment would expire soon.

He then offered to let me live with him – for free! Wow!

He explained that since he has to pay the utilities, insurance and property tax anyway, my presence would not increase his expenses.

Then he suggested I should use the savings to pay down my student loans and credit card debt.

I asked him how I could ever repay his generosity. He responded by saying, "you could repay me by being the best possible mother to our future children." I'm not sure whether he was joking or serious!

Should I accept his offer? It would be great to finally pay off my debts.

However, my friends and family will no doubt label me a gold digger.

Plus, I'm not quite ready for marriage and children.

Is this offer too good to be true?

[Tribune Content Agency]

Amy Dickinson suggests finding other ways to save money. "His choice to offer you an instant solution to your money issues is a huge red flag," she writes. "If you did participate in this scheme, you would be trapped in the household." Read the rest of her answer.

Should Ask Out A Guy Who Gets Food At The Food Pantry Where I Work?

My question concerns asking someone out on a date. I (50s gay man) work at a food pantry that has regular clients who can come in once a month. Over the past couple of years, there is one client (40s gay man) who comes in and is very friendly and slightly flirty. We have client information, including phone numbers. Would it be completely inappropriate to send a casual text? “It was great to see you today at the pantry. I would like to get to know you better outside of work, would you want to grab a coffee/have lunch sometime?” I know that might seem innocuous, but he didn't give me his phone number, so he would know that I looked it up. (Creepy, right?) And since he receives a service from me that he counts on, it could make it awkward for him to come back. (Really bad, yes?) He is really nice, and I think we would have a good time hanging out, but having been out of the dating scene for a while, I'm hesitant.

[Slate]

Jenée Desmond-Harris directs the letter writer not to look up the client's phone number in order to ask him out. "Sadly, I think you have to wait for him to make a move," she writes. "Continue to be warm and friendly and talkative in the hopes that you'll make him comfortable enough to do so.” Read the rest of her answer.

What Should I Do When My Sister Calls Me A Horrible Aunt Because I Lock My Bedroom Door To Keep Her Kids From Trashing My Stuff?

I recently graduated college and moved back home to save money. I do pay my parents some rent so I don't think that I am asking for too much to have privacy in my personal space. My sister and her two children live in the basement apartment. They don't pay rent. My sister thinks nothing of sending her kids and their friends into my room when I am not there to get them out of her hair.

I will get home to find my room trashed, items broken, make-up and art supplies stolen, and even food left in odd places. My sister does nothing but roll her eyes and tell me not to make such a big deal, that they are "just" kids. My parents don't care as long as the kids are not underfoot and in their rooms. I finally snapped in frustration, got a cheap lock, and used a screwdriver to put it on. Now I lock my door whenever I am out of the house. This upsets my sister and she says I am a horrible aunt and a spoiled brat who wants to hurt her kids' feelings. She keeps harping on this. I am this close to telling her where to shove it. I can't afford to move out. Help, please!

[Slate]

Kristin Wong counsels the letter writer to try another conversation to ease the tension with her sister. "It doesn't sound like you did anything out of line here," she writes. "Your stuff was getting trashed, you asked their mother for help, and after your requests were ignored, you took matters into your own hands to protect your stuff." Read the rest of her answer.

Check out last week's column here.