DEAR HARRIETTE: My uncle treats my cousin like she is stupid. She and I are the same age, and watching him lecture her on basic information that she knows is too much for me.

We are in our 20s, and he thinks that he is teaching her about time zones or other basic information, like how to fill a car with gas. Anyone who has gone to school knows what a time zone is! My cousin just accepts this or doesn’t say anything, presumably because it has been going on for so long.

He treats my cousin like a student and has recently tried to extend this behavior to me. I am a college-educated woman, and I do not need to be talked down to. I assume my uncle does this because of my gender. How can I respectfully tell him to bug off whenever he tries to dumb things down for me? – Not Dumb, Detroit

DEAR NOT DUMB: If your cousin has never expressed any feelings about what her father says to her, do not assume that she has the same reaction as you. There’s a chance that your cousin may need reminders about topics that you consider “basic.”

Rather than focusing on how he talks to her, you can be mindful of how he talks to you. When he turns to you and says something that makes you feel uncomfortable, you can address it. You might ask him why he thinks you do not know whatever the topic is. You can gracefully assure him that you are following the conversation. You can also excuse yourself if he continues to speak to you in a disparaging way.

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DEAR HARRIETTE: I am opposed to my children watching sitcoms. It does not matter to me what the show is about, I just cannot stand the show prompting them on when to laugh! Occasionally, I catch my kids watching sitcoms with my husband within earshot. I do not even know who to blame. I have tried parental controls, but my preteens know how to disable those.

I want to get the point to everyone that sitcoms turn you into a zombie who needs to be told when to laugh. Should I get rid of the shared TV in the house? I want to be able to control the media my kids are consuming. – Watchful Mother, Denver

DEAR WATCHFUL MOTHER: Your children are nearing the age when they will be making decisions for themselves. You can try to enforce stricter rules about what they watch on television, but considering that your husband does not share your views, you probably will not win.

Further, you seem to be taking an extreme view. While it can be argued that many sitcoms are silly at best, I doubt that most people turn into zombies upon watching them. Some people enjoy the foolishness in some of these shows as comic distraction.

While there surely are more enriching activities that can serve as distractions from the day-to-day, sitcoms won’t kill them. Instead of fighting your children, you may want to invite your family to participate in other activities outside the home that encourage engagement with one another.

— Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.