Dear Jasminda, When I travel with my partner on a plane, he ignores the safety announcements and instead reads a book. I feel like if something goes wrong, I’m the only one who will be able to assist. Bettina L. Dear Bettina, I’ve come across a range of different travellers over the years. Because I […]

DEAR Jasminda, How do we cope when there is so much chaos in the world? It feels as though every new day brings a worse news story than the day before. Georgia D. Dear Georgia, There is no point denying that the world feels as though it is in a massive state of flux at […]

DEAR Jasminda, Last night I made a birthday dinner for my mum. I decided to make the veggie burgers that I used to love as a teenager because I thought it would be nostalgic. The dinner was panned by every family member as being ‘bland’, ‘missing something’ and ‘disappointing’. I feel as though my energy […]

DEAR Jasminda, I RECENTLY went to a fancy dress party as a tradie. While I normally feel a bit reserved at parties, I was surprised at the number of people who initiated conversations with me. This helped me relax, and I ended up enjoying myself, whereas normally I’d be looking for an early exit. What […]

DEAR Jasminda, I HAVE been going really well with my eating and exercise plan, but over Easter it went out the window. I’m feeling very guilty and disillusioned. Fiona W. Dear Fiona, This is completely relatable, and I’m sure many of our readers will be feeling post-Easter remorse. In a 24-hour period, I somehow managed […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY daughter’s class is holding a fundraiser to raise funds to paint the play equipment. I’ve let the relatives know and now they are getting competitive with their offers. Kylie G. Dear Kylie, Fundraisers used to be done in a clandestine way, much like nanna slipping little Jimmy a cool fifty bucks in […]

DEAR Jasminda, I am doing a complete clean out of my home, but I can’t decide what to keep and what to cull. How do I make these decisions? Claudia D. Dear Claudia, I am the wrong person to ask about this. When I decide to clean my bedroom, I enter the zone of nostalgia. […]

DEAR Jasminda, HOW do we agree on a movie as a family? I’m so sick of scrolling through trying to locate a movie everyone will enjoy. Heather P. Dear Heather, You are right. Trying to find a movie that incorporates everyone’s interests is a nightmare. How is it possible, for example, to find a movie […]

DEAR Jasminda, My wife recently picked every green mango off our tree because she was worried about possums and bats. Now we have green mangoes all over the house and they don’t seem to be ripening. Has she made a fatal mistake? George F. Dear George, Since I’m not a mango expert, I was tempted […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY ex-boyfriend is in many significant family photos such as Christmases, weddings, birthdays and other occasions. Now we are no longer together, what on earth do I do with all the pictures? It upsets me to look at them, but I don’t want to forget the occasions. Rachel P. Dear Rachel, This one […]