Caring vs. Controlling

Dear Katie & Kelly,

My son, his wife and their three young children live in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco. They say it doesn’t bother them but this is no way to live. My daughter-in-law doesn’t work and it all falls on my son’s shoulders, which is difficult in such an expensive city. When we come to visit, there is no place for us to stay so we have to pay for a hotel and it’s insanely crowded when we come over. It’s ridiculous. Isn’t it time she gets a job?

Caring mother in California

Dear Caring,

We almost gave you another name starting with a C … Controlling. We’re guessing you’re either a Classic, a Fun or an Organic Structure. Kelly had an English friend whose mother-in-law once expressed disapproval about the type of haircut she’d given her son. Kelly’s friend replied, “You had your go. This is mine.” Personally, a one-bedroom for a family of five sounds awful but it’s none of our business and technically, none of yours. You’ve had your go and now it’s his.

All our best,
Katie & Kelly