Q. I have an adult son. I have been divorced from his mother for 10 years, and I am currently using online matching services.
I was in a relationship last year that lasted approximately 10 months.
My son and his wife and their young daughters met my girlfriend a number of times, and we stayed at their home over a few weekends last summer.
I have had a number of dates since then, and I have been dating my current “girlfriend” for eight weeks.
My son invited us to spend the weekend with them. Afterward my son sent me a message saying how much everyone enjoyed my date. He asked if they would be seeing her again. I told him most likely not, since I really don’t see this relationship lasting much longer.
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I then received a message stating that they did not want me to bring any girlfriends again. His reasons being that it wasn’t “fair” to them or my granddaughters! Do you think they have a valid point? I have not yet responded to their message.
A. You can imagine that this round robin of dates, while perhaps awesome for you, is confusing to others who get attached and undoubtedly assign their own private expectations to the relationship.
It can be very challenging for younger kids to grow fond of various partners and then see these people disappear for no apparent reason, except that “Granddad and his girlfriend broke up.”
It is completely within their rights to tell you they won’t be inviting your girlfriends to visit for weekends. Knowing this, you may choose not to visit as often.
Introducing someone you have dated for only eight weeks to your family is not a great idea for anyone — her or your family. You should keep your dating life private unless you are in a very long-term relationship.
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Your son might have an attachment to the idea that you find a permanent life partner. If you don’t want this (or see this possibility in your own future), tell him.
Q. My sister “B” is in her late 30s, and is, I believe, a hypochondriac.
She is convinced that she has an assortment of ailments, and is constantly seeing various doctors. None of the doctors ever finds anything seriously wrong with her, which leads her to believe that they are incompetent.
Every conversation that I have with her ends up focusing on an illness she believes she has. Her behavior seems to be getting worse.
She has missed a lot of family events, and has backed out of plans we’ve made many times, stating that she can’t because she’s sick.
I am very angry and hurt by her behavior, sometimes to the point where I don’t want to have a relationship with her at all.
How can I handle this?
A. You should tell your sister that you are worried about her. If she is open to a suggestion from you, you should recommend that she see a mental health counselor who can help her sort out her frustrations and anxieties regarding her health.
You should also say her behavior affects you: “I am disappointed when every conversation turns to your health. It makes me feel like you don’t care as much about me.”
Amy Dickinson can be reached at askamy@tribune.com. Follow her on Twitter @asking
amy or “like” her on Facebook.
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