DEAR ABBY: I recently discovered something strange about my fiance. "Tim" is 18 years old and lives with his parents. Yesterday, in order to show his mother something he had purchased, he walked in on her while she was taking a bath. I was shocked!
I don't understand why he couldn't have waited for her to finish her bath and get dressed. He says it is "no big deal," and it's "not a problem" for his mother. Apparently this is acceptable in their home.
In my family, once we reached a certain age, private things became private, and taking a bath was one of them!
Tim has a 16-year-old sister. It makes me wonder what he does in front of her -- and she in front of him.
I feel very strange knowing that they can walk in on each other in the bathroom. I am certainly not jealous of his mother, but isn't this unusual?
Does everyone just do whatever they want in front of their family members -- even private things? -- MORE MODEST IN MISSOURI
DEAR MORE MODEST: Apparently in Tim's home nobody locks the bathroom door. In some cultures, families bathe together -- parents and children -- in the same "tub."
Before you marry, make it clear to Tim how you feel about family modesty -- or purchase a bolt for your bathroom door.