DEAR ABBY: My son-in-law is never on time for anything.
He’s in charge of driving his young son to elementary school and is consistently late by four or five minutes.
He and my daughter have gotten letters reminding them of the importance of being on time. I witness this because we share a home. He was fired from his last job due to lateness.
I am a very punctual person, so his lateness for everything drives me crazy.
I have tried to lightheartedly address it, to no avail. My husband and I are retired, and I suggested to my husband that I could offer to take our grandson to school, but my husband says I should stay out of it. How do I cope with this? — PUNCTUAL IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR PUNCTUAL: Your grandson should not have to suffer because of his father’s irresponsibility. It is important that he get to school on time, with no black marks for tardiness on his record. If that means your daughter, you or your husband sees that he gets there in a timely fashion, so be it.
Of course, this does not solve the problem of your son-in-law’s habitual lateness. But perhaps he will learn better habits when word gets around that he can’t punch a clock on time when prospective employers ask for references.
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.