Manners Matter: Vacation Separation

Dear Mary Pat,

My son is 16 and is dating a girl who is the same age. They are inseparable. They are with each other every day and when they aren’t together, they constantly text or talk on the phone. We have a family vacation coming up and he wants to include her. My husband and I have said no repeatedly and he’s upset with us. We are going to be gone for five days and he’s acting like they will be separated for five years. How do I get it through his head that this is not happening and that his father and I aren’t trying to “ruin his life?”

Signed,

Mean Parents

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Dear Mean Parents,

He really has no other choice but to accept it. The key phrase you used was “family vacation;” his girlfriend is not part of your family. Maybe one day they will end up getting married, but, as of right now, they are only 16. I presume she also has parents who would like to spend time with their daughter. A little break might be healthy for them.

If your kids are mad at you, that usually means you are doing a good job at parenting.

Good luck,

Mary Pat