Carolyn Hax: Momsplainer kills the buzz of adopting a much-wanted dog

When I asked my mom what kind of dog food she uses for her puppy, her response really upset me. She did give me the brand name, but the bulk of the multi-paragraph email was just a list of what supplies and veterinary care a dog needs, peppered with phrases like, “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but …” and “I don’t mean to upset you, but …” and “this concerns me.” I just felt so talked-down-to and irritated that her first thought was that I had somehow not considered the extremely basic costs of pet-ownership!