Q&A from "The Guy's Guide To Giving Great Gifts"

Wise Readers, Last week’s column about gift-giving really hit a nerve on Ye Olde Provider/Protector turf. What’s a sneaky way to figure out what your man or woman wants? What if you’re a guy who really hates the calendar telling you when to buy? What should you do if you receive a Bad Gift? Under what circumstances *don’t* women care so much about Gifts? When men give grudgingly, are they truly showing a lack of willingness that can add up to neglect in a marriage? And are some women just impossible to please? Read on!

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How Not To Suck At Dating (special double issue)

That huge sucking sound you heard last weekend might have been my friend’s date. Having recently lost her home to fire, she was then invited to a movie about…the inescapable and fiery End Of The World. Worse? The guy knew both the movie plot and her personal circumstances. What does science say about successful-versus-sucky dates? To put the dating world in your hands, or at least avoid imitating a Hoover, read on.

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Q&A from "Staying Together For The Kids?"

Wise Readers, What if Stuart and Jeffrey were Stella and Jill—would having two moms who were looking for extra-relational love be even worse for household stability than two dads doing same? Would buying houses near each other allow Stuart and Jeffrey to protect their kids’ stability while looking for love elsewhere? And when is it a good idea to get a divorce for the children’s sake? Read on!

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Staying Together For The Kids? When casual sex might trump true love

Dear Duana, Stuart and I parent well together…and that’s it. Our kids, adopted from abusive backgrounds, are doing well, but I’d like to find a way to conquer my loneliness while maintaining their stable homelife. Would an open relationship work, where we each pursue real love elsewhere but stay together for the kids? Dear Jeffrey, many might say you’ve hit on the perfect compromise~but I wish you’d just asked if casual sex would work out okay. Here’s why…

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Stepmarriages: Keeping love alive when they’re somebody else’s kids

Dear Duana, I love my wife, but we argue about how to discipline her kids; she often sides with them in front of me, and they’ve learned I have no traction. I feel like I’m last in Anna’s affections and priorities. I don’t want to give up—but I won’t live with brats who’ve got their mom’s backing. Dear Scott, Just two years into a stepmarriage, most men are no longer supervising, disciplining or interacting much at all with the stepkids. And the divorce rate is literally 50% higher for remarriages with kids. Don’t give up; step up. Here’s how to save your marriage—and what to avoid.

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