Dear Janice,

My gorgeous dog passed away three months ago, and I’m still grieving and feel lost without her as she was my shadow for twelve wonderful years.

I still go for walks, but it’s not the same, in fact, it’s more upsetting to see people with their dogs.

I dread entering the house as it is silent and empty without the sound of her everywhere.

My friend said I should get another dog, but I just couldn’t handle this grief ever again.

What can I do to move on without her?

Fiona.

 

Dear Fiona,

A dog is not only a loyal and loving pet, but a true companion, and this is why you feel such grief.

Forget buying another one for now, and in the meantime, consider borrowing dogs in your area. www.borrowmydoggy.com.

Or why not take up dog walking and/or dog sitting?  Many people bought dogs during lockdown and then returned to work, so these services have become much in demand.

I’m sure if you placed a social media ad you would have lots of interested owners getting in touch.

Doing this means you could have lots of canine buddies and get paid to do something you enjoy too!

At some point, you may feel you want another furry friend, but in the meantime, give these a try.

 

Dear Janice,

My son received very disappointing exam results and understandably his dad and me are concerned for his future.

He wants to continue with his final year of school, but my husband says it would be a waste of everyone’s time and he should leave. He lectured him adding that if he didn’t knuckle down now, he will never be a success.

I’m caught in the middle and don’t know what to say or do.

Caroline.

Dear Caroline,

Ask your husband to define success.

Numbers on a spreadsheet don’t define a person, and making comparisons to others is unfair and unrealistic.

Together, reflect on what went wrong in the last year because until you work that out, there is no point in repeating it as this would only set him up to fail and disappoint again.

Turn disappointment into motivation to do better and improve his focus and self-worth by encouragement instead of slagging him off and lecturing him.

Remember, he is still young.  I know people in their forties and beyond who are still in the wilderness trying to figure out what they want to do in life.

Perhaps your son is not academic, and that’s fine. Just change your focus to his strengths and not the areas he is lacking.

There is a diversity of job options, training programmes and apprenticeships to look into, so start with your local Job Centre and take it from there.

Also, look at these websites: www.apprenticeships.scot/become-an-apprentice; www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk;

In the meantime, encourage him to get a part-time job which will get his dad off his back,

give him some cash, and breathing space to find out where he is at.