Q. My daughter is temporarily living abroad and we communicate daily on WhatsApp. She’s always desperate for any local news/gossip and I try to send her what I know, so she doesn’t feel too far away from what’s going on. A fellow parent in the village has now told me that my daughter forwards these titbits directly to others, often citing me as the source. I don’t want to gain a reputation for gossiping but neither do I want her to feel cut off. By the way, I have already tried saying ‘Just between you and me’, but her generation seems unable to understand the concept of discretion. They apparently think all information is for sharing – even the sensitive stuff. What do you recommend I do, Mary?

– Name and address withheld

A. There’s no need to cut her off from life back home. Next time you have something to share, record a voice message on WhatsApp and then, before you send it, tap the ‘1’ which will appear above the message. This way she will be able to hear the gossip you’re sharing with her, but the message will then disappear and she won’t be able to forward it. This will lessen the impact of your direct connection even if she does pass on the titbit by other means.

Q. My brother-in-law and I give each other quite expensive birthday presents. Last year he gave me a subscription to a certain well-regarded periodical which I found irritating to read. However I made the mistake of saying how much I was enjoying it. My birthday is imminent and it occurs to me that he will take me at my word and renew the subscription when he is sent the reminder. How can I stop this from happening without seeming like a total hypocrite?

– Name and address withheld

A. Communicate that you have heard your husband – or whoever you live with – -is to be bought a subscription to the same publication. So if, by any chance, your brother-in-law was thinking of kindly renewing, there’s no need for him to do so.

Q. I do all the cooking in our lovely old house, but nobody ever helps me with the washing up. Guests simply cram the kitchen sink with dirty dishes, cutlery, frying pans etc, all of which I have to deal with later. Is there anything I can do to stop this from happening?

– Name and address withheld

A. Next time you’re about to serve pudding etc, simply ask your guests to do the washing-up first. When it’s all done, reward them with a delicious freshly made pudding or pie. Lunch or dinner will then end happily, and you can even do the same thing when dining on your own, i.e. wash up and tidy immaculately before serving the last course.