Maybe there is more info in the original story. But all I read was that here is a woman with three kids who isn't receiving any child support. Maybe when she had them, she had a husband and plenty of money, we don't know. So you can't really compare her to the woman on Judge Judy.

PLUS she's already gotten herself sterilized! So clearly she's not planning on having any more kids. I can't believe the judge gave her a lecture AFTER learning that fact.

The non-child-support-paying father is the one who should be in jail.

I agree, instead of family-friendly or singles-friendly workplaces, let's have human-friendly workplaces!

I just hope someone will listen to him.

How about a field full of hangers to represent all the women who have died getting back-alley abortions?

Maybe people aren't talking to their kids about money. I remember going shopping with my Mom when I had my first post-college job (and no money). She pointed out that the shirt we were looking at was a really good deal. I said, "It's not a good deal if you have NO MONEY for clothes." She didn't seem to get it. Later she was shocked, SHOCKED at how in debt I was. Hello? Did we ever talk about budgeting? No.

I'm not blaming my mom for this. I know that I made my bed and now I'm lying in it, but maybe we need to stop being so hush-hush about money and really talking to our kids about debt. Seems like people (in general, maybe not the people here) are more concerned with keeping up appearances, so their kids have NO IDEA that their parents are also living beyond their means.

They really shouldn't give credit cards to people who can't afford them. Whoever suggested no APR's over 10%, I am totally on board with that.

I went to a state school and had a merit scholarship that paid for tuition, fees and books. All I had to pay for was room & board, with minimal support from my parents (approx $150/month). In the end, I only had about $4,000 in student loans.

My first few years out of school, I discovered that a journalism degree doesn't pay much and set out to learn how to do something that people would actually pay me to do. So now I am 31 and earn just over $50,000 per year. But I racked up so much credit card debt in those first few years that I am totally screwed.

Last week Oprah coined the phrase "Debt Diet." I love it. I realized that I have been on a Debt Diet for over a year now. I'm currently paying $200/month for a loan against my 401K (to pay down a high interest credit card -- the interest I'm paying on this loan goes to ME not a credit card company), $400/month in credit cards (this just covers the minimum payments), $250/month for my car, $50/month for my student loan. That by itself is almost half my salary!

I know I'm going to get out of this debt someday, but it makes me sick to think about. I just wish that no one had given me that credit card to begin with. It sort of reminds me of the story about the English school system. Make a few bad choices in your early 20's and you will pay for it until you're almost 40.

You know, sometimes having sex can help cure a headache. Just sayin.

I think their family is "kissing his ass" by all the attention he gets with his silent treatment. Everyone is spending their time/energy trying to find out what is wrong. "Oh poor BIL, he must have been wronged. I wonder why he's mad? Why won't he tell us?" Apparently the family has asked and he won't say. My opinion is that if he won't say, then I don't really care that he's mad. I would definitely not get rides from him.

What should she do? Well, she never had a relationship with him anyway, so who cares if he doesn't talk to her? I think she should stop wasting her energy wondering why.

Her fiance, on the other hand, has lost a brother that he presumably used to have a relationship with. If the fiance misses his brother, then it's his job to try to repair the relationship, not the LW's.

I notice that there are several people on here who are trying to defend the silent treatment. Remember this: If someone asks you what's wrong and you don't tell them, what are you expecting to change? Do you think they'll suddenly read your mind and correct their behavior? How many times do you have to be asked?

People who are mad and won't say why don't deserve special treatment. If you have a problem, say so. Otherwise I don't care what's bothering you.

My step-mother is like this and started giving me the silent treatment at age 14. THREE YEARS LATER my dad got on my case for not getting along with her. I said I didn't know what to do since I didn't even know what I had done wrong. He said I should have asked her. HELLO? Who was the adult?

Being mad at someone without even telling them why is incredibly childish and shouldn't be tolerated.