I dread telling fragile mom I'm moving out. Give advice to this Hax question.
Carolyn Hax can't get to every question she receives, so every week we ask readers to think like an advice columnist and submit their advice. Out of the many great responses we receive, we select a few standouts to publish on Wednesdays.
Previous reader questions have been about worries for a daughter dating someone much older, finding hope after being cheated on and whether a boyfriend's disdain for dogs is a dealbreaker. No matter the question, Carolyn's readers always show up with thoughtful and useful advice. You can read last week's question and responses here.
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CBS News
44 minutes ago
- CBS News
Dorchester lunch monitor sets tone for school with caring and creativity
While most kids were counting down to the last day of school, Yolanda Caban was dreading it. "What am I going to do for the summertime?" she asks, only half-kidding. "I'm not going to see my babies until September!" Yolanda is a lunch monitor or "lunch mom" at Kenny Elementary School in Dorchester. Technically, it's a part time position. But Yolanda also works-three days a week-in the before-school program. In that early period, she often plays "hair salon" with students who may have had to rush out of the house. She transforms "bed head" into stylish ponytails, buns, and braids. She describes herself as "a plain girl who does her own hair" and who enjoys helping students learn to do theirs. "It also helps out their moms," she adds. Breakfast Club, birthday program Yolanda hosts a Breakfast Club on Friday mornings, spearheads a birthday program, and created a popular school store. Students earn Lunch Squad Paws (they're the Kenny Wildcats) for good behavior, respect, and empathy. Once a month, they spend the Paws they have saved at a "store" stocked with chips, candies, stuffed animals, water bottles, socks and more. "I didn't come up with a lot of things," Yolanda explains, recalling her childhood. She tries to address disparities among the students-particularly when they share a friend group. "One child may have more than another child. So as an adult here at the Kenny, I have to make sure-if I have the resources-why not make a child happy?" Making children happy seems to come naturally to Yolanda who constantly considers how to engage and motivate them. Principal Shereka King praises the tone Yolanda sets for the whole school. "I think that's what makes her stand out," King said. "She's a creative soul and she pours so much love into our school community." This September will mark Yolanda's four-year anniversary at the school. To watch her interact with students you would think she has worked at the school far longer. She arrived at the Kenny School slightly anxious about the environment and the work. She knew that she would love working with kids. She just wasn't sure how much responsibility she could take on. Survived brain aneurysm, stroke The job at Kenny Elementary was Yolanda's first position after she suffered a grand mal seizure. Doctors treating her for the seizure also discovered that she had survived a brain aneurysm and a stroke. At the time of the seizure, she was working with women and families at a shelter. Her doctors advised her to slow down which, she knew, wouldn't be easy. Yolanda thrives on activity. A friend told her that Boston Public Schools needed lunch monitors. Yolanda applied and got the job. It did not take long for her to see that she was in the right place. "I fit right in and showed my joy and love to be around all the children," she said. One child, in particular appreciated that love at a critical time. Abigail Curran moved to Kenny Elementary from a smaller Catholic school in the fall of 2024. Her mother saved examples of her schoolwork from those early days in second grade, in which Abigail writes about feeling lonely. Miss Yolanda could see that Abigail was hurting. "I can see a group of kids having fun. But that one child that's to the corner or had, like, a sad face. It draws me right to them," she said. "Wish I could giver her a million dollars" Yolanda responded by getting to know Abigail-doing her hair and her nails-and spending time with her. She brought a portable speaker to the playground so they could dance. "All of a sudden, it's her and Abigail dancing and then all the other kids join in too. "So, therefore, now Abigail is playing in a big group," Corinne says, smiling. She explains that, nine months later, Yolanda is Abigail's "person" and an unsung hero who looks out for kids who need a friend. "I wish I could give her a million dollars," she explains, "What I can do for her is let the world know how important she is." For as long as she can remember, Yolanda has been a caregiver. As a child, she cared for her disabled brother. She worked her first job at 14. "That's always been my thing. I love to help out," she says as kids stream out of the school for recess. "I love to make sure everybody's happy."
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Win a pair of tickets to see Jason Aldean at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Overnight lines, safety concerns at Sunrise DMV as Broward prepares for 2026 takeover
Broward County's DMV offices remain under state control until the county tax collector assumes operations next summer, but some residents say the current conditions at the Sunrise location are already unacceptable. "I got here at 11 p.m. last night because I wanted to be first in line," said Jacob, a Sunrise resident. But even arriving that early didn't guarantee a spot at the front. "We pulled up at approximately 1:30 this morning thinking that we were making good time and we arrived to a line wrapped all around the building," said Anthony Vitiello from Davie. "This cannot be the standard," disabled residents say Each person CBS News Miami spoke to thought they were arriving early enough, only to find a crowd already waiting. Charles Bailey from Plantation said he changed his plans after seeing the line forming hours earlier. "I was out with my daughter; we drove by and I noticed people gathering at 8:30 p.m. the night before. And I thought well, I better do something about this or I'm not going to get in, so I came out here at 4:30 in the morning," Bailey said. For many, these early hours are more than just an inconvenience, they pose a real health risk. "There's a lot of people who have disabilities and who aren't built to stand in line all day. Like me, for example, I have cerebral palsy, so it's actually not healthy for me to be doing this, but I have no choice," said Vitiello. Vitiello and his mother, Tina Mahar, are both disabled and say this was their second time camping out overnight. "This cannot be the standard," Vitiello said. "Well I'm not feeling too well right now because I always don't feel well if I stay up all night," said Mahar. Others have seen medical emergencies during the long waits. "He was standing there for a while with me and he was starting to faint and a couple people around us just caught him," said Jamie Engles from Parkland, describing an elderly man who collapsed in line. Still, some residents said they are resigned to the reality. "That's life, you know. I got to adapt to the situation," Jacob said. Solutions in progress, but many months away CBS News Miami brought residents' concerns to Broward County Tax Collector Abbey Ajayi, whose office will take over DMV operations in mid-2026. "Yes, we've seen the lines like that," Ajayi said. "It's awful that that is happening, we have some solutions on the table." Ajayi said those solutions include opening four additional service centers throughout the county, though specific locations have not yet been announced. Her office also plans to hire more staff and implement technology to block scalpers from booking up appointments online. "It is a crisis and we're working with all the stakeholders," Ajayi said. "In addition to addressing it legally, we're addressing it with technology, where they (scalpers) will not be able to make multiple appointments online and that will alleviate a lot of those problems." Ajayi also said her office will ensure that appointments are reserved for Broward County residents, noting that roughly 25% of the estimated 63,000 people served each month at county DMV offices come from outside Broward. "We're looking at technology that allows us to have an appointment system that advises residents when to come up, similar to what restaurants do where you're texted when it's almost your turn so you don't have residents sitting outside in the sun and the rain," Ajayi said. Legal action and FLOW relief Ajayi said she hopes to bring in more Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobile units in the interim. The next one scheduled for South Florida will be in Pompano Beach on July 16. Meanwhile, attorney Michael Pizzi has filed a lawsuit against the tax collectors of both Miami-Dade and Broward counties. He said he wants better security and safer conditions for residents forced to endure long waits. CBS News Miami said it repeatedly reached out to the state for comment or an interview about what is being done to improve conditions immediately but received no response. Some residents say the current situation has left them unwilling to wait at all. "I'm not waiting. If my license is suspended, then it's suspended, that's how I feel," said Hanna Pacheco from Sunrise.
