Dear Prudence is Slate’s advice column. Submit questions here .

Dear Prudence,

My brother is a lovely guy but he looks quite “different.”

He has an addiction to body art and modifications. He’s tattooed almost every inch of his body, including his eyeballs, and has dozens of piercings, subdermal implants, brands, self-inflicted scars, and dental mods to give him sharp-looking teeth.

We only met up over Christmas, but my kids are TERRIFIED of him. The youngest had nightmares and was wetting the bed for weeks after our last holiday together. We’ve tried to explain that he’s nice, but it just doesn’t seem to get through. As the holidays approach, I am trying to navigate reintroducing our 5- and seven-year-old to their uncle. They’re having none of it. Should I just call it off? I

See Full Page