Dad tries to keep peace between wife, college grad

"Your wife is entitled to all her feelings, but she’s not entitled to dump her judgments and unmet expectations on a fellow adult. Not even one who’s back home. It’s boundary time."

By

Community

June 18, 2020 - 8:35 AM

Dear Carolyn: Our 24-year-old daughter, “Kate,” moved back in with us. She and I get along well, but she and her mom butt heads. My wife is disappointed Kate did not go straight to graduate school after college and doesn’t seem to have a plan. I trust that Kate will get it together. I did odd jobs for at least five years out of college before heading to business school, and that seems even more normal these days than it did then.

Carolyn HaxCourtesy photo

I am not sure how to broker peace between these two. When I tell either of them to let things go, they suggest I am being sexist. It has reached the point where I really only enjoy their company separately, which is too bad because it’s not a very large house. — Keeping the Peace

Keeping the Peace: Your wife is entitled to all her feelings, but she’s not entitled to dump her judgments and unmet expectations on a fellow adult. Not even one who’s back home. It’s boundary time.

Related
March 2, 2021
August 4, 2020
July 15, 2020
February 26, 2020