DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends is a gorgeous woman. I always appreciate her beauty – inside and out – but have been having an issue with some of the photos she chooses to decorate her home with. She has done many nude photo shoots. These photo shoots are with hired photographers, so they are solely in her possession. However, she hangs nude portraits of herself by her fireplace, in upstairs hallways and even in her bedroom. I myself don’t have a problem with this, but I have two boys and don’t want them seeing my friend nude. I try to not take my boys over to her house frequently, and she has recently started questioning where they are.

I never want my children thinking that nude bodies are something to be ashamed of; I just do not want them seeing my friend in the nude. How can I tactfully communicate this to my friend? I don’t want her thinking I don’t support her shoots. – Don’t Look Too Close, Philadelphia

DEAR DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSE: Be upfront with your friend. Tell her that you feel uneasy about having your sons view nude pictures of her. While you certainly think that she is beautiful and that it is her prerogative to display these pictures if she chooses, explain that you are uncomfortable about your sons seeing someone they know in the nude. Navigating sexuality with children can be a challenge, and you are doing the best you can. For you, that means limiting their exposure. If she gets upset, so be it. You have every right to limit what your boys see.

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DEAR HARRIETTE: A total overshare, but I have been having bowel problems for the past week or so. I urgently feel the need to use the restroom, and I have to go right that second or I will have an accident. I am very embarrassed, but I am just trying my best to work through these issues. My doctor does not know how much longer this will go on.

Whenever I jump up to use the restroom, my coworkers have been exclaiming,

“You’re going again?” They sound totally shocked and like they have no idea I need to urgently use the restroom. I would never make someone feel uncomfortable about how frequently they use the restroom. I don’t see why anyone thinks it’s OK to call attention to me. Do my co-workers think I’m going to the restroom to avoid work? I am not, but I find it would be incredibly uncomfortable to tell them what’s truly going on. – Keeping Good Relations, Detroit

DEAR KEEPING GOOD RELATIONS: Without going into detail, you can tell your co-workers that you have been having some digestive problems. If they probe, tell them you are addressing it. Obviously, given that you are having such an extreme problem, get a second opinion.

— 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.