Dear Queenie,
A couple of years after my parents got divorced my mother started dating a man and eventually moved in with him. After some time they broke up and my mother moved out and got a place of her own.
He never had much to do with me while they were living together, but since they broke up I hear from him fairly often by phone and email and he keeps asking me to spend time with him and do things with him.
Queenie, how should I respond?—Confused son
Dear Son,
Your mother’s ex may be trying to stay close to her by having a (hopefully fatherly) relationship with you. The next time you hear from him, tell him you are too busy and point out that your mother has moved on with her life and it is time for him to do so too.
