Girlfriend lets daughter change schools over a fart?! Hax readers give advice. We asked readers to channel their inner Carolyn Hax and answer this question. Dear Carolyn: This is such a ridiculous situation but is starting to have crazy consequences in my opinion. I’ve been dating my girlfriend, “Debbie,” for almost two years, and she is wonderful. She has a 15-year-old daughter, “Michelle,” who is a great kid but kind of high-strung and overly sensitive. Last week, Michelle had to present a project in front of one of her classes. She was really nervous about it and her stomach was upset, so mid-presentation she farted. The kids laughed because, yeah, they’re kids. When Debbie told me about it, I laughed, too, and said that must have broken the tension. She told me it wasn’t funny and Michelle was distraught (her words). And Michelle is carrying on still, not sleeping and hardly eating, according to Debbie. All because she farted in front of her friends. I’m not kidding. Now Debbie is looking into an alternative school for next year because Michelle says she’ll never live this down, and she doesn’t want to go back in September. She cries every morning about going to school and claims the kids are mean to her — probably because she refuses to laugh it off. In any case, I’m positive everyone will have forgotten this after the summer break so putting Michelle in a new school is nuts. I asked my 20-something daughters about this, and they told me to stay out of it. I guess they’re right, but it I think this is a real learning opportunity for Michelle. To learn how to deal with minor stuff like this before she gets out and faces tougher stuff. It kills me that Debbie is going to take her daughter out of a great public school system and pay good money to send her to private school, all because the kid farted one time. That’s nuts, right? And sends the wrong message to Michelle. — Overreaction Carolyn’s been writing her advice column for two decades. Explore the archives below. | 
