Dear Queenie,
I’m going with a middle-aged man who still lives with his parents. As far as I know he has never lived anywhere else. He says he likes it this way and sees no reason to move out
Queenie, is there something here I should be worried about?—Just wondering
Dear Just wondering,
This is indeed an unusual situation. It could be as simple as your boyfriend makes it out to be, or his parents could need his help financially or as a caregiver,
Unless there is something else you have not told me, I see no reason for worry unless you are looking for a closer, more permanent relationship with this man, in which case you should try to have a serious conversation(s) with him about your and his future.
Dear Queenie,
My son is entering the same profession as mine and sometimes he cones to me for advice. A colleague says I should not be helping him because he has to learn to stand on his own two feet.
Queenie, it’s not like I tell him what to do, I just try to lead him into figuring things out for himself. Am I doing something wrong?—Proud father
Dear Father,
It is normal for people who are just entering a profession to consult with experts. In this case the expert is a close relative, which makes things a bit tricky. Just make sure you are not feeding your son the answers to his questions/problems rather than pointing the way toward finding them for himself.
Dear Queenie,
My boyfriend is a very religious church-goer. I believe in God and I’m of the same faith, but I don’t go to church very often.
Queenie, is this a deal-breaker?—Worried girlfriend
Dear, Girlfriend
It could be, if your boyfriend cannot accept your attitude toward religion. You and he need to have a serious conversation (or more than one) on the subject.
Dear Queenie,
Recently I met up with this guy I used to date in high school and we started going together again, He had gotten married and then divorced in the meantime but he says he was always in love with me and now he wants to marry me.
However, up to now I haven’t even met his children, let alone got to know them. He is very close to them and as far as I can see he is a great father. They must know about me because he has a picture of me on his nightstand, so why can’t I meet them?
Queenie, what do you think?—Impatient
Dear Impatient,
I think you are being too patient. It is time to start wondering if this guy is really divorced or just stringing you along.
Dear Queenie,
My son’s wife is constantly busy doing something on her cell phone when she is visiting us. The last time her children got into a fight and she didn’t even notice and I had to calm them down.
When I spoke to her about it later she told my son I was being rude.
Queenie, was she right?—Angry mother-in-law
Dear Mother-in-law,
No!
Cell phone use, especially the Internet, can be addictive, but that is not excuse for neglecting one’s children.
