Dear Abby: Mooching grandson is draining us dry

Dear Abby Our grandson is We struggled a lot with him growing up He lived with us his parents never married His mother went to prison for years He has a job but reliably asks us for money We give him about a month My husband and I have had a lot of arguments over it Our grandson also has a girlfriend and four children who live with him We are retired and this is draining us I feel sorry for that little family but my own family is sinking Have you any advice Reached the Limit in Texas Dear Reached I certainly do Turn off the money spigot before your generosity gets you in more trouble than you are already experiencing You have been more than generous with this grandson You do not owe him a month As an adult it is time for him to take care of his own family just as it is with you and your husband Dear Abby My company has a four-days-a-week return-to-office mandate this year While it s nice to have the in-person camaraderie co-workers who are conspicuously ill are now coming in and spreading their contagion My company provides a generous two weeks of occasional absence which may be used for sick days doctors appointments and such I am now sick at home These co-workers are not heroes for coming in to work with their germs but selfish and inconsiderate Nobody objects I feel I should say something to our office manager What do you suggest Sick of Sick Co-Workers Dear Sick Speak to the office manager and suggest that a memo be sent out stating that if someone is feeling unwell they should wear a mask or stay home until their features subside A multitude of businesses do it Dear Abby Our neighbors Wanda and Bob have agreed to care for our house and cat when we vacation We explained them we d like to pay them for their troubles but Wanda says they want to do it for free Bob just smiles Judging by her body language Wanda seemed offended when I inquired her how much she d like to be paid You see I m sure we can return the favor if they leave town but we have the means and time to vacation more often than they do I don t want to offend but neither do I want to take advantage In our area there aren t any house-watching services I m stumped What s a neighbor to do in this instance Getting Away in Oregon Dear Getting Away It appears that Wanda and her husband prefer to enjoy the benefits of practicing the good neighbor strategy rather than focus on monetary reward Approach Wanda and tell her you appreciate her willingness to watch your place while you excursion and reiterate that you would be pleased to do the same for her and her husband when the opportunity arises While you are away if you see an item you think they would enjoy present it to them upon your return I m thinking something characteristic of where you have been 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 Los Angeles CA