DEAR HARRIETTE: I baby-sit for a family almost every weekend. This upcoming weekend they have asked me to stay over both Friday and Saturday nights because they will be out of town at a wedding. I usually don’t mind staying overnight because it saves money and time on commuting to their house. However, they have recently downsized, and there is no longer a guest room for me. They asked if I would sleep in the daughter’s room in her bunk bed. I am not a fussy person and don’t have a problem with doing this, but another part of me is saying that I shouldn’t be staying in the daughter’s bunk bed as a 22-year-old. What do you think of this? -- Sleeping in the Bottom Bunk, Brooklyn, New York
DEAR SLEEPING IN THE TOP BUNK: You need to get practical here. Since there is nowhere else for you to sleep, that’s why your employer is offering you the bunk bed. It’s not about your age or station in life. This is simply a reality check. Given that you like the family and get along well with the children, I suggest that you move past the accommodations challenge. Do you know the saying “It is what it is”? That applies here.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)