Dear Janice,

My son finally introduced us to his girlfriend and we were flabbergasted.

We knew he was dating, but assumed she was within his age group.

However, she is 12 years older and has two children in their teens.

Our son is only 25, and has promising career prospects and we don’t want him saddled with an older woman, or with someone else’s children.

And we certainly don’t want step-grandchildren.

He is a lovely son and we want him to have children of his own, and we want our own grandchildren.

How can we make him see sense?

Margaret.

Dear Margaret,

You use the word ‘we’ a lot, but shouldn’t this be about your son’s wellbeing and not about your one-sided aspirations for him?

I guess your son already had an idea he would be subjected to such wrath when he introduced her, but he still did, which means he is serious about her.

A 12-year age gap is no big deal to anyone but you, so get to know this woman and you might be pleasantly surprised at what she has to offer.

As for her children, I’m sure they’re not mad about step-grandparents either. But you won’t know any of this until you spend time with them.

Your son can still be a dad, and still have a career but if you don’t open up to the idea of him being with this woman, you could well end up lonely old opinionated pensioners.

 

Dear Janice,

I have been online dating for a year and have been scammed twice.

Both men were a good bit younger than me, handsome and seemed genuine, so naturally I was flattered as I’m a bit of a plain Jane.

My friends assure me I’m not gullible, just trusting of people, however, I have lost confidence in my judgement and have almost given up hope of meeting a decent man.

I don’t think I can risk another man taking advantage of me, so should I leave well alone or give it another try?

Moira.

Dear Moira,

Online dating is the perfect breeding ground for escapism and fantasies therefore scammers tend to select women who will be flattered by the attentions of a younger, handsome guy.

But these guys are not who they portray themselves to be, and it might sound harsh but they rarely opt for stunning females who can have their pick of men.

Moira, If someone appears to be too good to be true, chances are, they are.

You have been stung twice, and have given it a fair chance, so please come off these dating sites immediately.

Of course, there will be genuine men behind some of the profiles, but is it worth the risk?

You sound lovely, decent and honest, and many men would be delighted to be with such a lady, so go out with your friends and meet real people face-to-face.

This way, your friends can help you vet any potential suitors. Good luck.