Miss Manners offers advice on handling hurtful jokes from relatives

A reader asks how to handle relatives who make mean jokes about her. After confronting one relative, she was told she was "too sensitive." She seeks a polite response to their teasing, which has become hurtful over time. Miss Manners advises against laughing off the jokes. Instead, she suggests saying, "Please give all that a rest. I don’t find it amusing." If they call her sensitive, she should acknowledge it and ask them to stop. In another query, a reader received expensive gifts from her daughter's ex-boyfriend's parents but wants to avoid a relationship. Miss Manners confirms a thank-you note is sufficient, but suggests adding warmth to the message.