Dear Abby: Our son-in-law, “Brody,” has a very different lifestyle than ours and the one in which we raised our daughter. I pointed it out to her while they were dating, and she was not pleased. I decided to say no more and try to accept him as best as possible, although I admit my husband has been better at it than I have.
One thing that continues to bother us is that whenever we invite them out for dinner, Brody will order the most expensive thing on the menu. He also has a couple of drinks, upgrades his salad and orders dessert. By the time he’s done, the cost of his meal is double that of everyone else’s.
Although we can afford it, we feel this is bad manners. I’m not sure if he’s trying to take advantage of us or if he just thinks he is entitled. Our daughter thinks he’s wonderful and doesn’t seem to mind that he does this. I worry that it may reflect badly on her when they are out with others. Is this acceptable? Do we grin and bear it? Or should we say something and, if so, what do we say?
Paying Dearly
In Montana
Dear Paying: If you bring the subject up, I can almost guarantee that what you say will not be well received. What your son-in-law is doing is “acceptable” in light of the fact that you say you can afford it. If you couldn’t, I assume those dinner invitations would be few and far between, and you would have had to explain the reason to your daughter. When they dine out with contemporaries, presumably the bill is split between the couples. If that isn’t the case, it probably wouldn’t happen twice because the other couple would likely request separate checks.
Dear Abby: I am the editor of a local newspaper and manage two others. Your message (March 27) about it being “too late” to run a wedding announcement is nonsense. We regularly receive announcements six to seven months after weddings. Also, the announcement does not have to be submitted by the couple. Grandparents or parents in the community can send them, too.
Young people today think that once something is on social media it is “official,” forgetting that not everyone is on social media, and not everyone is connected to their profiles. So please tell the person who wrote that letter to send in that wedding announcement and enjoy having the hard copy memento of a happy occasion. I wouldn’t be surprised if someday those newlyweds will be very happy to have a physical copy of their announcement.
Newspaper Lady
In Kansas
Dear Newspaper Lady: I’m glad you wrote because I’m sure many readers will benefit from it. However, the writer of that letter stated that her daughter-in-law said she didn’t want the announcement in the newspaper and her son agreed. I cannot “bless” the writer going against their wishes, which were made clear.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
