Navigating Custody Battles: Advice for Young Parents

A concerned grandmother seeks advice on her son's volatile relationship with his teenage ex-girlfriend, who uses their child as a pawn whenever he starts dating someone new. The grandmother suggests seeking legal custody to establish parental rights and responsibilities. She advises her son to minimize his dates' contact with their child until he is in a serious long-term relationship, lock down his social media, and use birth control. The grandmother also recommends avoiding discussions with the ex-girlfriend until a court date is set. In another letter, a father seeks advice on how to handle his 11-year-old daughter's disrespectful behavior during a family outing, while another reader disagrees with the columnist's response to a mother's objection to her daughter bringing four dogs to a wedding.