Was It Appropriate For My Boss, The Mayor Of My City, To Give Me A Sex Shop Gift Card For The Holidays, And Other Advice Column Questions
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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.

Was It Appropriate For My Boss, The Mayor Of My City, To Give Me A Sex Shop Gift Card For The Holidays?

I'm employed by my city, as a government employee in a very large office. This year, our holiday celebrations were canceled but we were given a "drive-by" celebration instead, where we received gift bags.

After waiting patiently in line, the gift bag was handed to my teenage daughter, who was in the passenger seat. After we pulled away and began to look through the bag, she discovered a $50 gift card to a sex shop!

I am a female employee working for the mayor. Is it me, or is this extremely inappropriate to give to anyone?

I went to HR about this and was basically laughed at.

What do you think?

[Tribune Content Agency]

Amy Dickinson rules that a gift card for any business having to do with sex is an inappropriate gift in a professional setting. "I suggest you try to discern whether others also received this gift," she writes. "If a call to the mayor's office doesn't yield answers, you might contact your local newspaper." Read the rest of her answer.

Should I Tell My Boss I've Noticed She's Been Treating Me Worse Since She Found Out I'm Fat?

After losing my job due to Covid-19 a year ago, I spent months job hunting and interviewing. As an overweight woman, sometimes I suspected that I was facing weight discrimination, but of course it is almost impossible to know for sure.

Finally, after eight months, I got a job. The interviews were all over Zoom, and the job is remote for now as well. I have been there for three months. It had been going really well, and I was getting a lot of great feedback from my boss about how quickly I was picking things up and how much the team enjoyed my positive attitude.

This all seemed to change a couple of weeks ago. My team decided to meet for an informal picnic in a park so we could all meet in person. I was having a great time when I overheard my boss say to a coworker that I was a lot bigger than she had expected me to be.

Ummm ... okay? I suppose it is possible that due to the way I carry my weight, they might not have been able to tell on Zoom that I am overweight, but it was obviously an inappropriate statement. Still, I decided to let it go. But back at work on Monday, I noticed my boss' attitude to me had totally changed. She reminded me twice out of nowhere not to take more than half an hour for lunch, which has never been an issue, and has asked me to start sending her lists of what I did in a day. She also seems much less interested in friendly chitchat.

In my mind, she has seen that I am overweight and decided that I am lazy. Am I crazy for thinking this? Is there any way I can address it without seeming dramatic?

[Ask A Manager]

Alison Green validates the letter writer's interpretation of events, pointing out that weight discrimination is common but unfrotunately still legal in most of the U.S. "As for how to address it, can you name the specific changes you're seeing from your boss without speculating (to her) on the reasons for them, and simply ask if she has concerns about your work or whether there's something she wants you doing differently?" she writes. Read the rest of her answer.

Should People Who Give Up A Child For Adoption Be Forbidden From Having More Children Later On?

I have a real hard time with people who give their first child up for adoption and then continue having more.

Example: My brother-in-law gave up a child for adoption, then became a very successful person: retired Marine, business owner, real estate agent, broker, pilot, and the list goes on. He's been married for 30 years and adopted his wife's firstborn (although he has nothing to do with him now) and has had three children with his wife.

My husband feels there's nothing wrong with this. Am I wrong for feeling he should never have had more? And I dang sure don't think the family should put him on a pedal stool (sic). Oh, and the child he gave up lives in our hometown, while my brother-in-law lives out of state. It is hush-hush.

Can you give me your opinion?

[UExpress]

Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin do not agree with the letter writer. "Reasons for having, not having, adopting, giving up or otherwise handling one's family situation and children are no one else's business — unless the children are in actual danger," they write. Read the rest of their answer.

Should I Keep Telling My Sister, Who Is Depressed And Has Experienced Infertility, That Having Kids Will Make Her Happy?

My sister and I have recently been arguing a lot. We are relatively close but are at different stages of life. I am married with four small kids and a husband, and she is recently divorced (after five years) without children. Now she's dating again and tells me she's not interested in having babies (husband or no). That's fine and I want to support her, but here's my dilemma. She is clinically depressed. She's seeing a therapist and is taking medication but will text me things like "I have no joy in my life — what can I do to find some?" I'm not living a perfect life by any means (I recently underwent cancer treatment during a pregnancy while in a pandemic among other things) but I can say I'm pretty content, so I try to offer advice (she did ask, after all) and since my kids tend to bring me the most joy, I naturally have suggested that maybe being a mother would make her happy.

I understand that kids are not everyone's cup of tea, but she's not finding happiness in her job, her hobbies, her casual relationships, her friendships, or even her church group. Still, when I mention that babies bring joy, she blows up in anger. She went through a tough year of fertility treatments when she was still married and is convinced that that was enough trying for kids for her. So I'm at a loss as to what to say to help or comfort her at this point. I don't want to be trite and say, "You'll find something eventually" but I also don't have the skills, knowledge, or, frankly, time to try to help her find her bliss. How can I be a supportive sister during her depression without spiraling down a dark hole with her? It feels like all I do is make her mad, which is frustrating. I don't know what answer she's looking for, but all of mine are wrong.

[Slate]

Michelle Herman argues that the letter writer's sister is not actually asking for advice; she's just asking for support. "People who are depressed don't 'find happiness' — not in their jobs, not in their hobbies, not in their relationships, not 'even' in church," she writes. "And not by making babies." Read the rest of her answer.

Should I Talk To My Son's Teachers About Why They Scolded Him Over His Shoes In Front Of The Whole Class?

My son is in sixth grade, and he transferred to his current school 6 months ago (there were too many playground fights at his previous school). He was enjoying his new school, had made a handful of friends, and was happy. He's quiet, shy, goes out of his way to please others, and has never had any issues throughout his school years.

Yesterday, his class aide emailed me to inform me that his school shoes were inappropriate. (They were black Lacoste, the only school shoe we found in his size during a pandemic.) No one had mentioned anything to him before.

His teacher, the head of his school, and his classroom aide went on to scold him about his school shoes in front of all his classmates. His teacher then went on to ask him if his shoes are Lacoste, and whether they are knock-offs! He said he felt humiliated and embarrassed.

I feel terrible — I would think they'd have had the decency to speak with him privately if his shoes were not suitable. I immediately took him to buy a replacement that same afternoon.

In talking about this incident, my son has said that when he says good morning to his classroom aide, the aide never says good morning back, although he says good morning to his other students. With all this, he's been feeling really down and does not have the same enjoyment or eagerness to want to go to school.

I am torn if I should say something to his teachers? Sometimes he wants me to, but changes his mind because he's scared and worried they will be harsher towards him. He's Indian, and the three teachers are all white. I told him I am sure the teachers don't mean anything by it, but he said I wasn't there and do not know how he's feeling.

What do you think I should do? I don't know how to handle the situation delicately so he's not further humiliated or hurt. I also don't want to see him hurt and upset.

[Slate]

Matthew Dicks strongly encourages the letter writer to speak to their son's teachers. "The behavior described is inappropriate and potentially damaging to your son," he writes. "Remaining silent in fear of retribution creates a space that is not healthy for your son." Read the rest of his answer.

Should I Make Mumble Rap Instead Of Conscious Rap In Order To Get More Listeners?

I feel that I am compromising my art for the consumer. I'm a hip-hop artist, and I make what I would describe as "conscious rap." I know that conscious rap is hit-or-miss in 2021, but I'm losing my patience a little. I keep watching rappers with no lyrical depth make hits and get famous for their music when it all sounds lazy to me. My music has heart and soul, and I get little to no support for it. I've dabbled in making music that aligns more with the "mumble rap" that I hear on the radio today, but it makes me feel sad and unfulfilled. My art is my passion, and I don't want to change it, but I don't want to keep getting ignored. What should I do?

[UExpress]

Harriette Cole advises the letter writer to stop comparing themself to more successful rap artists. "Work now to meet people in the music and entertainment industries," she writes. "Look for opportunities to get your music and message out there. And stay positive." Read the rest of her answer.

LV Anderson is the news editor at Grist and an advice column aficionado.

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