Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: Any general advice on dealing with a 17-year-old boy who is off-the-charts rude and nasty to me, his mother, somewhat so to his father, and apparently seems polite and quiet to everyone else in the world? One recent example: I made him a special birthday breakfast last week, made the mistake of wishing him a happy birthday and saying I couldn’t believe he is 17, and he snarled, “Can you just stop talking? How about that’s your birthday gift to me?” Please trust I am not overly critical or judgmental of him, and I don’t know how I could have raised someone who is so casually cruel. — His Mother |