Asking Eric: Father doesn’t know how to talk to daughter about mother’s infidelity
Eric helps a father release past regret over revealing a mother's infidelity to their daughter,...
“Asking Eric” is a popular column in the Boulder Daily Camera, features Eric Thomas’ expert advice on personal issues. A favorite among Boulder residents, it offers practical, empathetic guidance on relationships, family, and work, making it a cherished resource in the community.
Asking Eric
Asking Eric: Candidate husband doesn’t have spouse’s vote
Eric offers guidance to a wife who doesn't support her husband's sudden school board campaign,...
Asking Eric: Couple fears PDA is driving away friends
Eric reassures a loving couple that mild affection rarely alienates true friends, while readers offer...
Asking Eric: Suburban family holds ‘intervention’ for city-loving child
Eric guides a reader through handling a misguided family intervention after moving to a new...
Asking Eric: Resident wants to warn new homeowners about swinger neighbors
Eric advises a reader to hold back on spreading unfounded rumors about neighbors to potential...
Asking Eric: Husband’s poor hygiene mars otherwise great marriage
Eric guides a spouse through having sensitive, non-judgmental conversations about a partner's personal hygiene, and...
Asking Eric: Couple considers breakup after years of drinks and drugs
Eric reassures a reader contemplating a late-in-life breakup due to evolving lifestyle priorities, and advises...
Asking Eric: Ill sister won’t seek medical care
Eric offers advice on helping a sister who refuses medical care due to anxiety, and...
Asking Eric: Friend uses couple for their pool
Eric guides a host dealing with a guest who takes their hospitality and pool for...
Asking Eric: Parents want to be included in vacation activities despite mobility challenges
Eric guides a daughter through setting kind, empowering travel expectations with her aging parents, and...
Asking Eric: Aging mom seems disinterested in daughters
Eric addresses concerns about a 95-year-old mother pulling away emotionally and provides actionable advice for...
Asking Eric: Newly sober friend won’t make amends
Eric offers guidance on setting firm boundaries with a newly sober friend who hasn't made...
Asking Eric: Husband lies about his past
In this column, Asking Eric explores the psychological motives behind a husband lying about his...
Asking Eric: Young widow left behind by spouse’s friends
In this edition, Asking Eric offers guidance to a young widow who feels abandoned by...
Asking Eric: Widowed stepmother won’t return family heirlooms
This week, Asking Eric advises a reader whose widowed stepmother refuses to pass down cherished...
Asking Eric: Friends constantly cancel on plans
In this edition, Asking Eric offers advice on dealing with friends who constantly cancel plans...
Asking Eric: Ex-husband becomes oversharing new coworker
Asking Eric advises a woman whose ex-husband recently joined her company and began sharing inappropriate...
Asking Eric: Boyfriend asks partner to give up her dog
In this week's column, Asking Eric guides a woman torn between moving in with her...
Asking Eric: Congregant finds pastor on dating app
This week, Asking Eric advises a woman who matched with her pastor on a dating...
Asking Eric: Son rejects mother’s funeral wishes
Setting firm boundaries around your final wishes ensures your voice is honored, even when loved...
Asking Eric: Family fears causing offense with conversation about race
Discussing sensitive race topics in public calls for context and intent, while dealing with people...
Asking Eric: Ex-husband lets brand-new girlfriend babysit son
Managing co-parenting boundaries requires open communication when new partners are introduced to your children too...
Asking Eric: Others often take advantage of generous giver
Being a chronic giver often leads to burnout and hurt feelings, requiring clear personal boundaries...
Asking Eric: Angry nephew forbids aunt from seeing her dying sister
Unraveling years of family lies after a relative's death requires emotional boundaries, while processing childhood...
Asking Eric: Widower finds love with married friend
Managing unexpected feelings for a married acquaintance requires deep self-reflection and honest boundaries within your...
Asking Eric: Overeager relatives mar family visit
Managing social dynamics requires clear communication. Whether dealing with self-centered houseguests, endless charity junk mail,...
Asking Eric: Mandatory mental health days stress employee
Facing forced "mental health" days with colleagues can cause unnecessary stress, while aging without family...
Asking Eric: Noisy neighbor kids mar backyard oasis
In this column, Asking Eric helps a retiree deal with noisy new neighbors using acceptance...
Asking Eric: Wife’s complaint gets husband in hot water at work
In this edition, Asking Eric offers guidance to an employee whose venting to his spouse...
Asking Eric: Adult child of friends ruins parties
Eric shares advice on setting boundaries with an unengaging adult guest at dinner parties. In...
Asking Eric: Daughter’s needs drive parents deep into debt
Eric advises a mother in heavy debt to set strict financial boundaries with her manipulative...
Asking Eric: After tragedy, daughter says mother’s love is only skin-deep
Eric offers guidance to a widowed mother facing criticism and potential estrangement from her adult...
Asking Eric: Cousin is a good cook with a filthy house
Eric offers advice on confronting a cousin about her hoarders-level kitchen while preserving the relationship....
Asking Eric: Threadbare clothing causes embarrassment
Eric reassures a financially strapped reader that minor wear and tear on clothing isn't a...
Asking Eric: Ex-stepmother may lean on estranged stepson
Eric guides a reader through setting boundaries and discussing end-of-life finances with a former stepmother....
Asking Eric: Siblings don’t show up for mother’s centennial
Eric addresses a reader overwhelmed by planning a 100th birthday party without sibling support, advising...
Asking Eric: Friends’ prejudiced thinking leads to social isolation
In this column, Asking Eric helps a retiree who cuts off prejudiced friends find like-minded...
Asking Eric: 39-year-old too anxious to get a job
In this edition, Asking Eric offers strategic advice to a friend concerned about a 39-year-old...
Asking Eric: 40-year marriage suddenly sours
In this column, Asking Eric helps a reader navigate the daunting choice of divorce after...
Asking Eric: Local celebrity’s fame puts strain on relationship
In this week's column, Asking Eric offers advice on dating a local public figure as...
Asking Eric: Kitchen remodel divides couple
Asking Eric tackles two complex dilemmas: how to find compromise when a husband controls kitchen...
Asking Eric: Husband of 40 years leaves abruptly
Asking Eric tackles two complex relationship dilemmas: helping a mother decide whether to share the...
Asking Eric: After getting dumped, letter writer wants to date younger coworker
Asking Eric tackles two sensitive relationship dilemmas: whether a 23-year-old should date an 18-year-old coworker...
Asking Eric: Friend of a friend is an enemy
Asking Eric addresses two distinct dilemmas: how to handle a friend's overbearing and financially taxing...
Asking Eric: Friend’s allergy creates dinner drama
Asking Eric tackles two tricky social dilemmas: how to handle a fellow diner who blames...
Asking Eric: Sister tries to sabotage new relationship with half-siblings
Asking Eric addresses two complex family dynamics: guiding a reader whose abusive sister is attempting...
Asking Eric: Family asks prying questions about religious conversion
Asking Eric addresses two sensitive family situations: how to diplomatically decline answering intrusive questions about...
Asking Eric: Mother says ‘no politics’ but keeps talking politics
Asking Eric tackles two complex interpersonal dilemmas: how to handle a mother who enforces a...
Asking Eric: Girlfriend mocks boyfriend’s body
Asking Eric tackles two sensitive situations: helping a man address his girlfriend's constant jokes about...
Asking Eric: Friend punishes those who tell him ‘no’
Asking Eric addresses two challenging relationship scenarios: dealing with a retaliatory friend who lashes out...
Asking Eric: Neighbor offended but won’t say why
Asking Eric tackles two uncomfortable situation: what to do when a boyfriend reveals a neighbor's...
Asking Eric: Married ex still trying to make contact
Asking Eric addresses three distinct reader dilemmas: dealing with an ex-boyfriend whose post-breakup behavior borders...
Asking Eric: Friend left out of burial plans but still grieving
Asking Eric offers advice on how to find closure and honor a late friend when...
Asking Eric: Friend has only unkind things to say about surgery results
Asking Eric tackles three distinct dilemmas: dealing with a rude acquaintance who makes hurtful remarks,...
Asking Eric: After saving man’s life, Good Samaritan never wants to see him again
Eric advises a Good Samaritan struggling to sever ties with the man whose life he...
Asking Eric: Work-from-home spouse wastes company time
Eric advises a remote worker losing respect for her husband due to his poor work-from-home...
Asking Eric: Family members’ experiments with AI raise alarm
Eric addresses a reader anxious about family members uploading their likeness into AI generators, offers...
Asking Eric: Mother wants to move, but adult child won’t leave home
Dear Eric: I’m a senior with three grown kids. After divorcing young, I rebuilt my...
Asking Eric: Boyfriend has to defer college and wants girlfriend to stay behind with him
Eric advises a high school graduate torn between going to her dream college or staying...
Asking Eric: Customer followed after accidentally shoplifting
Eric addresses two stressful dilemmas: an 80-year-old shopper targeted by an overzealous store clerk after...
Asking Eric: Significant other keeps tracking dirt into the house
Eric tackles two tough household dynamics: navigating a "shoes-off" policy with a partner who keeps...
Asking Eric: Couple hesitant to share good news after best friend’s miscarriage
A conflicted parent seeks a sensitive way to share her pregnancy news with a best...
Asking Eric: Cousin’s dire premonition haunts divorcée
A divorcée dealing with chronic illness is left shaken after her new roommate cousin shares...
Asking Eric: Sister’s death leaves questions for family
A personal representative seeks guidance on how to fairly distribute a late sister's estate across...
Asking Eric: Meet-and-greet with musician leads to infatuation
A happily married 70-year-old reader turns to Eric for help shaking an unexpected infatuation with...
Asking Eric: Neighbors react badly to person with autism spectrum disorder
A neurodivergent reader seeks strategies to handle condescending neighbors who mock their fidgeting. At the...
Asking Eric: Perimenopause treatment prompts awkward questions
A reader requests advice on how to respond to acquaintances asking if she used weight...
Asking Eric: Niece bars aunt’s boyfriend from wedding
A grieving aunt contemplates skipping her niece's wedding after her partner of five years is...
Asking Eric: Longtime friend always looking for a handout
A frustrated friend seeks a way to address a longtime companion's greedy behaviors and constant...
Asking Eric: Letter writer regrets making new friend
An impetuous reader seeks the right words to back away from a new acquaintance after...
Asking Eric: Grandfather’s gift to estranged grandchild may come with strings
A conflicted parent seeks guidance when an estranged grandfather offers a massive birthday gift to...
Asking Eric: Daughter’s job frustrations trigger mother
An unemployed reader feels like a failure while walking on eggshells around her ultra-sensitive mother....
Asking Eric: Know-it-all friend always has answers even when she’s wrong
A frustrated reader asks how to handle a reconnected friend who refuses to stop offering...
Asking Eric: Brother’s theft leaves family confused
A bewildered brother seeks advice after discovering his sibling has been stealing from their elderly...
Asking Eric: Brother doesn’t want gay father’s ex at memorial service
A grieving sibling faces a dilemma when her brother wants to exclude their late father's...
Asking Eric: Mid-40s worker wants to drastically change life
In this edition of Asking Eric, a professional in his mid-40s wrestles with the anxiety...
Asking Eric: Cousin’s AI manipulation mars treasured family photo
In this edition of Asking Eric, a reader is left furious after a cousin uses...
Asking Eric: Spouse refuses to ever apologize
In this edition of Asking Eric, a frustrated spouse seeks advice after decades of dealing...
Asking Eric: Accidental voicemail reveals sister-in-law’s true feelings
In this edition of Asking Eric, a reader is left deeply hurt after an accidental...
Asking Eric: Stepdaughter’s estrangement angers stepfather
In this edition of Asking Eric, a stepfather grapples with intense anger over his stepdaughter's...
Asking Eric: Daughter’s breakup hurts mother, too
In this edition of Asking Eric, a mother seeks advice on processing the grief of...
Asking Eric: Noisy neighbors are too intimidating to talk to
In this edition of Asking Eric, readers look for guidance on overcoming the anxiety of...
Asking Eric: Adult child may be too distant to be a part of parent’s wedding
A parent faces a dilemma over their 21-year-old child's sporadic communication and an upcoming wedding....
Asking Eric: Agnostic uncomfortable when asked for prayers
An agnostic writer feels stuck when devout friends ask for prayers or mention God's plan....
Asking Eric: Sister’s financial chaos causes strain
One sister struggles to emotionally disengage from an older sibling trapped in perpetual financial chaos....
Asking Eric: Helpful in-laws shut out of family plans
Left out of family plans and hurt by unequal gift-giving, one grandmother wonders if she...
Asking Eric: Road trip leads to resentment
This week, Asking Eric advises a reader harboring resentment over a long-term friend’s unsupportive husband...
Asking Eric: Married friend might be flirting
This week, Asking Eric offers guidance to a single senior citizen confused by a married...
Asking Eric: News podcasts cause marital discord
This week, Asking Eric tackles communication breakdowns: a husband whose podcast habits spark spousal resentment,...
Asking Eric: Daughter accepted to college, but she may not be ready
A concerned mother turns to Eric when her 17-year-old daughter completely shuts down the idea...
Asking Eric: Sister posts paternity secret on Facebook
A 68-year-old reader is left reeling after his sister publicly posts that he was the...
Asking Eric: After 20 years, breakup still hurts
A woman in a happy relationship asks Eric how to finally move past the sudden,...
Asking Eric: Busy professional avoids socializing
A busy professional working up to 80 hours a week turns to Eric to learn...
Asking Eric: Son-in-law didn’t deliver Mother’s Day card
A grandmother is left baffled after her son-in-law refuses to let his young sons sign...
Asking Eric: Husband refuses to downsize
A stressed-out retiree turns to Eric because her 81-year-old husband refuses to clear 20 years...
Asking Eric: Party host wants to keep guests from drunk driving
A responsible party host asks for the best ways to ensure intoxicated guests don't get...
Asking Eric: Family feud creates confusion about wedding invitations
A retiree faces a tough decision on whether to travel for a cousin's wedding after...
Asking Eric: Relationship between younger man and older woman tempts gossips
A widow dating a significantly younger family friend worries about local gossip as they take...
Asking Eric: Close friend follows extremist groups online
A woman feels utterly betrayed after discovering her close friend of 50 years secretly follows...
Asking Eric: After estrangement, son misses out on hefty inheritance
A grieving mother questions whether to leave an explanatory note after cutting her contemptuous, estranged...
