My teenage son constantly lies to us. How do we get the trust back?
Dear Annalisa, My son is 15 and causing no end of trouble. He is a good kid, pushing against the boundaries and learning to grow up.…
Do I need to leave my partner for the sake of my fragile son?
Dear Annalisa, I am 62 years old and semi-retired. I’ve worked hard all my life. In my 30s I had a son; it was just the…
My son seems to blame me for his anxiety. How can we reconnect?
Dear Annalisa, My 22-year-old son is about to start his third year of a four-year degree course, and he is living at home. He has always been quiet and…
My partner delights in being a dad, but is awful to me. What can I do?
Dear Annalisa, My partner and I have been together for five years; we have a son. My partner wasn’t supportive during my pregnancy and showed no interest in antenatal appointments or…
My toxic mother wants contact with my child – how do I approach this?
Dear Annalisa, I am expecting a baby later this year. Despite living in a different country, my mother wants to be as involved as she can. I…
I think the married woman I had an affair with is pregnant with my baby. What’s the right thing to do?
Dear Annalisa, Before lockdown, I began an affair with a married woman, J. She told me I was her soulmate and no one had ever made…
My husband wants a divorce after 30 years. What do I tell the children? The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa Some time ago, out of the blue, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. I was horrified and astonished – we had been…
After the Manchester attack: how do I talk to my children about distressing news stories? The Guardian.
I have only once actively hidden a news item from my daughter. She was three when Madeleine McCann went missing, far too young to know about…
My boyfriend won’t marry me, even though we plan to start a family. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa My boyfriend does not want to marry me. I am 30 and he is 35. We have been in an amazing relationship for almost two…
I want children – but my fears for the future of the planet fill me with doubt. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa My partner of the last seven years and I have always been fairly ambivalent about the idea of having children. However, over the last…
Annalisa Barbieri 
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