Amelia Christnot is an Oglala Lakota, Kanien'kehá:ka Haudenosaunee and Métis Navy brat who settled in the wilds of Northern Maine. A member of the Indigenous Journalists Association, she considers herself another proud Maineiac.
Going back to work after the birth of a child requires organizing childcare. Sometimes, family offers a good solution, but unlike paid professional caregivers, the dynamic isn’t employer and employee. And when that caregiver is a parent’s parent, the dynamic gets even messier. Telling your mother or father no can be difficult at any age. […] More
Part of the responsibility for pet owners is keeping their pet safe. Many homes pose hazards to pets in the form of cleaners, plants, and foods. A woman with two cats turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for feedback. Educational_Bat4640 asked: “AITA for being ‘ungrateful’ about the flowers my girlfriend got me […] More
Therapists and court officials all warn divorcing parents not to put their children in the middle of disputes and not to share adult problems with minor children. It’s sound advice, but can be detrimental in the long run if the divorce was the result of one parent’s actions or behavior. A father turned to the […] More
Personal accountability refers to the acceptance of responsibility by a person for their own words or actions. Some people never learn what accountability is, often because they have never experienced consequences. A mother turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for feedback after trying go hold her daughter accountable. Worldly-throwaw-4244 asked: “AITA ‘being […] More
When we entrust someone with our home—housekeeper, nanny, babysitter, petsitter, housesitter—it can be pretty devastating if they break that trust. Especially if they’re a close friend or family. A homeowner who entrusted their best friend of 10 years with their cat turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for feedback after discovering their friend […] More
Apartment living can bring one major drawback—neighbors. If you’re blessed with good neighbors, it can be an advantage, but sharing walls can lead to disputes that often don’t happen in free-standing homes. A noise complaint for a neighbor across the way generally means they’re being really loud. A noise complaint when you share walls or […] More
By now, most people have heard of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. They were developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross to understand the emotional journey of loss. The stages are not linear. Individuals may experience them in a different order, skip stages, experience multiple stages at the same time, and […] More
Being excluded by your family when it comes time to hand out gifts can be very upsetting. Watching everyone else enjoy their gifts while you sit there empty-handed. But is it a justification to not buy gifts for the people who excluded you? A wife and mother is pondering that question and turned to the […] More
In the olden days, unless you were a part of a vast criminal conspiracy, phones were private once switchboard operators were no longer needed to connect calls. The technology to tap into what was happening on a person’s phone didn’t exist in a way available to the general public. Now? All someone needs is a […] More
During the pandemic, a lot of people who never considered working from home (WFH) were suddenly required to do so. Some adapted easily while others had trouble separating work life from home life. A stay at home mom (SAHM) whose husband is trying to work from home and parent at the same time turned to […] More
When and how a person decides to come out is an individual thing. It’s also a series of decisions for most people. There’s sharing their LGBTQ+ identity with family, and friends, and classmates, and coworkers, etc… Unless they decide to walk around with a giant sign, most LGBTQ+ people will be faced with coming out […] More
While it’s usually best for parents to remain on good terms, even if they aren’t, or never were, married, sometimes it’s not possible and not in the best interests of any shared children. A father not on good terms with his son’s mother turned to the “Am I The A**Hole” (AITAH) subReddit for feedback. Similar […] More
