DEAR ABBY: I'm 29 years old, a single mother of three kids, and I have been dating one guy exclusively for about five years. We live together in a house he inherited from his grandmother.
Every time his mother comes into town, he asks my kids and me to pack up all our stuff and leave until she's gone. He says it's because his mother doesn't want us to live together until we're married and that she was raised in this house. What do you think? -- PUT OUT IN PHOENIX
DEAR PUT OUT: I think after five years, it's time you stopped clinging to this fully grown boy and found a man who is marriage-minded. His insistence that you take the children and move out when his mother comes to town means he's unwilling or unable to stand up to her disapproval.
Children need stability. Being uprooted every time this woman visits cannot be good for them emotionally. Please understand that this is only a sample of what your future holds, if at any point you and this man marry. His mother's approval will always come before the welfare of you and your children.