• Home
  • Ask Didi
  • FAQs
  • How Tos
  • Be Your Best
  • Meet The Challenge
  • About Didi
  • “NEWPORT ETIQUETTE”
  • Home
  • Ask Didi
  • FAQs
  • How Tos
  • Be Your Best
  • Meet The Challenge
  • About Didi
  • “NEWPORT ETIQUETTE”
  • Keeping Family Together
  • Creative Etiquette Solutions

You may also be interested in:

What To Say About Bruce Jenner
Wedding Reply Card Update
Wedding Invitation Reply Card
Keeping Family Together

By accident, my son-in-law spilled automobile oil on my son’s brand new expensive carpet at Christmastime. He responded quickly and offered to have the rug cleaned by a company he found on his iPhone, which was reasonably priced. Nevertheless, My son’s wife insisted that the carpet be sent to a cleaning company specializing in using environmentally safe products that is very expensive. My son-in-law declined to pay the amount asked.

The outcome is that my son and daughter’s spouses refuse to attend the same family gathering together. As the patriarch of the family I’m wondering how to resolve the problem, because my wife and I enjoy having our whole family with us for the Memorial Day, the Fourth and Labour Day holidays so that our grandchildren, who live in different states, can get to know one another. We’ve tried to stay neutral.

All my wife wants for Mother’s Day is to find a solution for keeping the family together. What’s your advice?

–J.L., Nantucket, MA

Keeping family together takes patience, social skills, and awareness of all the family nuances. Not an easy task.

It is up to your son-in-law to pay for the cleaning of the carpet by giving your son a check for the amount he would have paid to use the carpet cleaner of his choice.

It would be disrespectful of your son-in-law to shirk the responsibility. However, don’t confront him at a family gathering. Talk to him ahead of time and as soon as possible, so that you can all put this behind you in time for summer fun.

Encourage your son-in-law to pay something toward the cost of cleaning the carpet. Otherwise this petty little problem will morph and split the family.

~Didi

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Please give us a try and subscribe to the NewportManners.com newsletter!

As you’ve shown an interest in Newport Manners & Etiquette, Didi Lorillard thought you may wish to subscribe. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Thank you ever so much!

* indicates required

 

more_topics

Featured
"Party Chic"
Accepting A Compliment
Acknowledgements
Addressing
Addressing
Adult Child
Adult Children

see more…
Wedding
Who To Invite
Welcoming Dinner
Weddings
Wedding Shower
Wedding Registry
Wedding Reception Dinner

see more…
Relationships
Adult Child
After the Break Up
Allergies
Breaking Up
Bullies
Children

see more…
Office/Business
Cubicle Etiquette
Dress Code & Grooming
E-Mail Etiquette
Employer-Employee
Interview Tips
Office Parties

see more…
Ask Didi
your étiquette question
Explore
Didi’s collection of responses
discover
How To...
POPULAR TOPICS
  • Codes + Conduct
  • Awkward Situations
  • Entertaining
  • Dilemmas
  • Wedding
  • Relationships
  • Manners
  • Tricky Conversations
  • Sticky Social Situations
  • Family
  • Dress Code
  • Conversation Etiquette
Apologizing doesn’t always mean you are wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.

Our Newsletter

As you've shown an interest in Newport Manners & Etiquette, Didi Lorillard thought you may wish to subscribe. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Thank you ever so much!

* indicates required



 

  • Home
  • FAQs
  • How Tos
  • Be Your Best
  • Meet The Challenge
  • About Didi
  • “NEWPORT ETIQUETTE”
  • Sitemap
© 2014 All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact didi@newportmanners.com site design AtlanticGraphicDesign.com