Ask GoodJoan

Questions and answers from June, 2006:

Help! My daughter just had a birthday and got presents from her friends. Her sister wants to play with them, but the birthday girl insists they are just for her and no one else. I would like for her to share but she does have a point, they were given to her and not her sister. My Mother in law thinks I should buy new toys for my other daughter too so she isn't jealous. That seems like an expensive solution. Also, I am not sure that's teaching a reasonable life lesson! They are just getting old enough to squabble about it, and with many birthdays in our future, how can I make it work for both girls? [More...]
Help me! My bathroom stinks! I keep cleaning it but it still smells funny. I've begged my sons to aim better and mopped a dozen times around the toilet. I've used pine scented cleaner, citrus scented cleaner, fresh scented cleaner, yet I still have a pee scented bathroom! What can I do? I'm afraid to have company over because they might need to use the bathroom and I'm embarrassed by how funky it smells! [More...]