DEAR ABBY: My heart breaks when jokes are made about older children, especially sons, who still live at home. My son "Nick" has his own area of the house and cares for himself. His rent helps us greatly. My parents also live in another part of the house, and he helps with their needs sometimes.
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Why does everyone make fun of these people without knowing the situation? Nick has a college degree and a good job, but the wages aren't what they were in relation to the cost of living. We both work full time, and so I rarely see him. He also travels for his job and can be gone for two weeks at a time. He used to own a home, but sold it to move out of state for work. When he came back, we set up this arrangement to benefit all of us.
People need to look at the whole picture before making a judgment. Abby, do you think this is an unacceptable arrangement? -- FAMILY EXTENDED IN KANSAS
DEAR FAMILY EXTENDED: Unacceptable? Not at all, if it's working for you and your family. In recent years it's become more common for adult children to live with their parents. People shouldn't rush to judgment if they don't have all of the facts.