the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beaconweb9-18 | Page 11

September 2018 M THE BEACON DEAR, ARIE By Marie Segale [email protected] Dear Marie, I am a single mom with two little girls, six and eight years old. My parents love my little girls, and they want to spend time with them. My parents are such a big help to me; they are my only back-up because the girls’ dad is not in their lives. My problem is that my parents pop in on me without any notice. Sometimes I get a call as they are pulling into the driveway, but a lot of the times there is no warning at all. I have purposely not answered the phone, but they show up anyway. I have a very hectic, high-pressure job in the financial industry. When I come home from work, I do not want to have to entertain company. I want to spend time at my house recharging and getting ready for the next day. Some weeks my parents show up every day. What’s so ironic to me is that when I was growing up, my parents hated pop-in company; now they are doing it to me. Please help me, Marie! I need some space! Donna in Need of Space Page 11A Dear Donna, I am sorry your parents are not respecting your time and space. It’s tough for an adult child to say to their parent, “Please do not pop in on me.” I don’t see any other way around your situation. Be honest, loving, and gentle. Be clear that you expect a phone call to see if it’s a convenient time for them to visit the girls. Explain to them that you need some downtime and privacy without company. Maybe that will jog their memory about how the