Stripping down an answer to its core

DEAR AMY:A reader asked you what age it was un acceptable for an opposite-sex parent to undress in front of a child. You said something like, "When the adult hits 50 or the child hits age 5, whichever happens first." This was totally irresponsible. I can't think of one good reason an adult would need to undress in front of a child. Can you think of any reason? I think it is sick.DisgustedDEAR DISGUSTED: Scenario No. 1: Dad takes his toddler daughter camping. There are bears wandering outside. Dad undresses in the tent. Scenario No. 2: Mom takes preschooler Jake to the Loehmann's communal dressing room. She needs to keep a constant eye on him while she undresses. Scenario No. 3 involves an igloo, a snowstorm and a family sauna.

By the way, I was joking about stopping this practice when the adult turns 50. It was my way of protecting innocent children from the horror of gazing upon the middle-age body.

Some parents don't worry too much about this. They watch for the child's cues and then they respect the child's comfort level. That sounds about right.

DEAR AMY:A friend calls me frequently. When I answer with a "Hello," she replies, "What are you doing?" Not only do I have to carry the conversation, but I have to report what I'm doing. She never says "Hi," asks how I am, or states why she is calling. I told her I find it kind of rude not to say hello. She doesn't think it's rude at all. I've gotten to the point where, when she asks what I'm doing, I say, "Answering the phone." She still doesn't get the hint.

Fed Up With Phone CallsDEAR FED UP: If someone doesn't say, "Hello, this is . . . " then you should say, "Who's calling?" even if you know. Clearly, when your friend asks what you're doing, she really wants to report what she's doing. Follow up your "Answering the phone" reply with, "and what are you doing?"