My mother-in-law visits us too often. Moreover, she tends to come and dictate terms in our household. This is irksome for both my parents and me, though I know she doesn’t mean harm. I can’t say anything to my wife to avoid misunderstandings or hurting her sentiments. How should I deal with this situation?
Name and address withheld
There is no other way to deal with this kind of mess. Just tell your wife that while you love her mother, she should not behave in the way she does only because your neighbours think she is suffering from senility. Just the desire to appear sane, will ensure she starts behaving herself and becomes as docile as an impotent lamb. This is the only sure-fire way! You could, of course, slap her by mistake too or for that matter divorce your wife, but then they are trouble-some solutions.
My wife loves to cook but her culinary skills are awful. She can’t cook and yet insists on cooking everyday. She is against eating at a restaurant which leaves me with no other alternative. But I do not have the heart to tell her how bad the food she cooks tastes. It gets worse when we are entertaining guests. It hurts me to see them laughing behind her back but she fails to realise her folly. What should I do?
Name and address withheld
Just muster enough courage and tell her. Or better still, set her on a minor fire in the kitchen and pray and hope she has the fear of God in her from ever trying cooking again. Now the other smart thing you can do is get some unknown person as a judge of home cooking and tell your wife that there is some Lions Club kind of outfit giving away awards to home chefs and then ensure the examiner fails her miserably and that he or she then tells your wife that she is an atrocious cook and should stop cooking immediately. You could also force the cow to eat what she has herself cooked and hope to hell she suffers food poisoning.
HELP AT HAND
Alcoholics anonymous
10A, Nandan Road, Near Ganja Park, Calcutta - 25,
Ph: 2419 1174
For free help on alcoholism
E-mail: akolkata_ig03@rediffmail.com
(2p.m. to 6p.m. Mondays through Saturdays)
Al-Anon (for families and friends of alcoholics)
Ph : 8420738682
(2p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays)
www.india.al-anon.alateen.org
Narcotics anonymous
(Kolkata area helpline)
Ph: 9836223071; www.nakolkata.org
Email: info@nakolkata.org
Self-help group of recovering addicts
HelpAge India
1800-345-1253
Free helpline for the elderly for social, legal, economical, financial counselling and also access to government schemes and policies
Lifeline Foundation
Ph: 2463 7401/ 2463 7432
Free helpline for the depressed or suicidal (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturdays)
Sparsha
AE-36, Rabindra Pally, PO: Prafulla Kanan, Calcutta - 01
Ph: 2591 0334, 2591 3852, 6529, 9856
Free tele-counselling and one-on-one counselling on personal relationships and HIV/ AIDS (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays)
