Dear Amy: I have an adult son, a college-age son and a teenage daughter. I have been divorced for 11 years. I’m finding that although my daughter still has three years of high school left, I am worn out with parenting!

Although it’s not an option, I feel I could skip this last stage completely. What can I do to reignite my passion for parenting? It doesn’t help that my daughter is going through a mouthy stage and can be very difficult to deal with.

— Tired Mom

Dear Tired: I don’t know if you can realistically reignite your passion for parenting. You get props for merely hanging in there. Passion might be a little much to expect. But please do not give up. Your teen daughter needs as much parenting as a toddler — just a different kind.

I’m going to assume that parenting your sons through this stage was different. You were younger, for one thing. And sons typically (though not always) experience their teen years with their parents as a discreet pulling back, where daughters tend to confront.

Please try to see this as a young woman finding her voice, even when you know she is just being obnoxious. My experience with girls (five of them) is that they seem to want to describe their lives and experiences, while pushing back and/or outright rejecting parental response or counsel. You will do a lot of listening. She will seem to do very little.

Your sons might be of some help to you now. You should urge them to keep in touch with their sister. They can help to translate some of your decisions for her. She might be less mouthy toward you if she feels supported by them.

You should also seek the support and counsel of other moms. Commiseration and a glass of wine have helped many moms of teens live to fight another day. And I will quote my own mother, who saw her three daughters through many stages, sometimes with a sigh, saying, “This too shall pass.”

Dear Amy: I work in a government job. I am hardworking, detail-oriented and a perfectionist. I take my job seriously and always try to do my best. My work is solitary and independent. I spend most of my time at my desk, by myself, quietly editing documents, preparing mailings, etc. I am definitely an introvert.

The boss in my workplace wants everyone to get to know one another and socialize. This involves lunchtime potlucks (off the clock) and get-to-know-you activities at meetings that would make any introvert want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

My question: To what extent do we HAVE to participate in these things, if at all? They are NOT a part of my work program.

— Introverted Professional

Dear Introverted: You should disclose your discomfort to your supervisor and honestly ask if you can be exempted from some of these get-togethers.

Your boss’s motives are to provide a more positive professional experience. Social interactions at work can help to create cohesion, and — for many — might enhance their experience, communication and work performance. Other people find these forced interactions fake, unnecessary or boring.

But for you, these gatherings may throw you off your game and impede your performance at work.

You will probably have to find ways to tolerate some of these team-building exercises if they are folded into meetings. But you should not have to attend a potluck if you don’t want to.

If you haven’t already, read “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” by Susan Cain (2013, Broadway Books). Your boss should read it, too.

Dear Amy: Thank you for your response to “Knows Too Much,” who faced an awkward situation when her friend’s wife complained bitterly about him behind his back.

Wow, this sounds like my parents. My father was Mr. Wonderful to the outside world. The fact is — at home, privately — he was a monster. Friends did not believe my mother’s account of the abuse because he was “so nice!” She became more open about the abuse to others, hoping that someone would listen.

— Survivor

Dear Survivor: I hope someone finally heard (and believed) her.