DEAR ABBY: I recently married, and my 19-year-old son and I moved in with my new husband. My son works full time and goes to school part time. My husband expects him to do dishes and other chores. My son does take care of the recycling and trash on a weekly basis. I work from home part time, and I don’t mind doing the chores. This is causing a lot of contention between us. Am I wrong to defend my son? -- WILLING IN FLORIDA
DEAR WILLING: You should not have to “defend” your son. There are now three adults living under that roof. Your son is not a freeloader, he’s working full time and taking classes. All three of you should be doing the dishes “and other chores” as needed. And you should ALL be in agreement about the timing and rotation of who will do what, and when.
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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.