Dear Rachel Week by Week

My husband and I are active community members. We have always valued being the ones that help shape a community, rather than just being one of the followers. And we have worked very hard to instill this philosophy of community activism into our children. However, our eldest daughter doesn't like to get involved with anything...

Every week the same scenario plays out at our family game night. My ten-year-old daughter starts up with her siblings and when we say something she gets very upset. I mean she throws a tantrum and says some variation of us not loving her. Nothing we do seems to work...

About nine months ago, my husband lost his job. I then started working full time and my husband has taken over some of my previous duties (car pool, dinner prep etc.). Unfortunately, he is becoming more and more angry over it, and extremely resentful...

I have just been promoted as a CEO for an up and coming hotel chain. This is a job that requires extensive travel and time. However, there has been an increasing amount of tension in the house when I get home...

While I know that my husband loves me, I still feel the need to hear it and it hurts me that he can’t say it, even when it is so important to me. Am I making a big deal out of nothing?

I'm planning my dream wedding but it seems to be turning out as a nightmare for everyone else. I want to get married on the beaches in Hawaii but a number of our family members can't travel that far or afford it. While it is very important for me to have them there, this is my special day and I feel it should be the way I want it. What do you suggest?

I have had a difficult relationship with my mother my entire life. While I was never physically abused, I definitely suffered severe emotional abuse. Still today when I am around her I revert to being a hurt child and don't feel I can protect myself. Should I cut off the relationship or somehow pretend to ignore what bothers me?

My in-laws think we should take the kids away over the summer and have offered to pay for it. But we really don't enjoy family vacations with young children. I'd love to use the money to send the kids to camp instead, but my husband is worried that his parents would be insulted if we don't take them up on their offer...

The pressure of dieting and physical appearance is something that my eight year old daughter is already aware of! Occasionally she will pat her round little belly and ask me if I think that she is fat. She is a little chubbier than some of her friends, but certainly nothing unhealthy or out of the ordinary. Should I put her on a diet?

This year, for the first time, we are hosting the family Passover Seder. We were very excited to finally be able to have everyone in our home, until we found out that distant cousins, who we find very offensive, plan on coming . . .

I am a student rooming in an apartment with another Jewish girl. Though neither of us is religious, I decided that I'd really like to be kosher for Passover this year, but my roommate is up in arms about having to do an intense cleaning...

My husband and I had a great relationship. But since giving birth, I find that I am frustrated often with needing to ask him to do things that he should just figure out on his own...

I have a friend whom I have known for years. More recently, however, she has been really depressed and non-responsive, and seems to blame everyone else for her problems. I am concerned for her and fear that her recent behavior will really create major problems for her. But she is not open to any advice...

I recently overheard a conversation where people were saying terrible things about a friend of mine. Meanwhile, my friend has no idea that this rumor is going around...

I am a very social and outgoing person, yet I am married to someone who is just the opposite. He never wants to attend social functions or socialize really at all. I am meanwhile feeling trapped and just want to go out but I feel strange attending an event without my husband. What do you suggest?

We are, fortunately, quite successful and have always been able to give our children everything they need and want. When they were younger this never seemed to be an issue, but now that they are all tweens and teens, we are having a real problem...

This might sound stupid, but I feel like there is nothing that I am good at. I have friends that are great writers, or singers or cooks, yet I can't think of anything that I can do that is unique...

I am the mother of a beautiful thirteen-year-old girl who always seemed to be quite confident and happy with herself. Recently, however, she has been spending so much time worried about her clothes and how she looks...and now she is trying to go out all the time now wearing makeup...

I've been dating a great guy for over a year now, and we are extremely happy together. The issue, however, is that I want to get married and he seems perfectly content with how things are right now. I agree that things are going really well, but I am ready for the next step and don't want to keep on dating...

I have always had a passion for art but never pursued it because it wasn't the practical thing to do. Rather, I got my law degree and have been a practicing lawyer for a number of years now. However, I hate my job and would love to do something creative. I know that in this economy leaving a well-paying job would be ridiculous...