KATHY MITCHELL AND MARCY SUGAR \ Annie's Mailbox It's time to get new bank accounts for kids



Dear Annie: I have been a happily married man for nine years. I have two children and a wonderful wife. My concern is that my mother-in-law is using my son's bank account for her own personal use.
Mom opened an account for each of my children. I like to deposit a few dollars into the kids' account each week. However, my mother-in-law withdraws money out of our son's account on a regular basis. I've asked her to remove her name from the account, but she won't. And the bank will not remove her from the account because she opened the account as a gift and it's not under my control.
I know you will say get another bank, but this bank has a great kids' program, and I feel it would be unfair to our son if he missed out. How do I handle this dilemma without any hard feelings? Broken Piggy Bank in Iowa
Dear Iowa: Nice mother-in-law you have. Here's what you do: Open another account for your son at the same bank. (Do this for your daughter, too, before Grandma gets into that one.) Grandma might eventually drain the old accounts, and there's nothing you can do about that, but at least she won't be able to get her hands on any future deposits.
Dear Annie: In July 2000, I fell asleep while driving, flew 50 feet over a dry creek bed and ended up pinned under the steering wheel. Two days later, I woke up hearing a surgeon telling me I had broken my back. He said I was lucky to have a MedicAlert(R) bracelet, because it prevented the doctor from ordering an MRI, which would have been fatal since I have a pacemaker.
MedicAlert(R) provides emergency medical information and has a 24-hour hot line that gives doctors all the medical information that cannot fit on the bracelet. They also notify the contact person you have listed.
This year, MedicAlert(R) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of saving lives. Please tell your readers to become a member by calling (800) 432-5378, or visiting www.medicalert.org. You never know when you might need them, and they are always there. Virginia in San Antonio
Dear Virginia: That bracelet was certainly a godsend. Thanks for reminding our readers about MedicAlert(R). We hope they will check it out.
Dear Annie: This is for "Boss in a Bind," the married man who flirted with "Lois," his employee, and now she is propositioning him via e-mail. I'm one of thousands of women like Lois. Does that man have any idea how frustrating it is for us when he plays these kinds of games?
My boss has flirted with me for the past year. I ignored it until it became so obvious that the other girls in the office started teasing me about the compliments, the special attention, etc. I never once returned any of his advances. But when he spent half an hour hanging on me and kissing my cheek at an out-of-office function, I realized he was not joking.
Almost every woman likes attention from attractive men. Now I'm caught in a bind. If I return his affections, I could be fired, and if I don't, I could still be fired.
Here's my advice for "Boss." You need to tell Lois you messed up. Say the flirting was wrong and the two of you should set some boundaries. Make sure she knows she is a valued employee and you don't want to lose her. If you just brush her off, she may try even harder to get your attention. Another Lois
Dear Lois: These little office flirtations can lead to serious trouble. We like your suggestion that he speak to her directly, and we hope he is willing to do so.
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