Hope my grandson doesn’t get greedy

Dear Pastor,

I am a 65-year-old woman and I have been reading your column for many years. I have many of your columns and sometimes I go back and look at the old ones and read them again. My grandson lives with me. He makes sure that I get THE STAR every day.

I have two daughters, but they are living in the USA. They left my grandson with me from the time he was 13. He is really helpful. He is the man in the house. Nobody can come around and do what they want. He takes care of everything. I taught him to cook and clean and wash his own clothes. I don't allow him to wash my clothes and I wash the sheets from his bed.

I know he is a man, so I don't prevent him from bringing his girlfriend to the house. Sometimes the girl is in his room and I know sometimes what they are doing, but I pretend that I don't have any sense. So I don't say anything. I told him that he has to be careful not to get the girl pregnant and he told me that I don't have to worry about that.

This girl respects me. She is a few years older than my grandson and she is doing courses online. My grandson is in engineering. I told him that this house belongs to him. We are living in a nice neighbourhood. I have some money and I want you to tell me what I should do.

My daughter is helping her son in school. He has nothing to do with his father because when my daughter was pregnant with him, his father told her that she should do away with the belly, but she refused. She told my grandson that his father didn't want him, so he holds that against his father. I told my daughter that she should not have told him that his father wanted her to have an abortion. I raised this young man in church and every night we read the Bible together.

Sometimes I read what children have done to their parents by going in their accounts and withdrawing money without their parents' permission. I trust my grandson, but I don't know if he would change now that he has this girl in his life. He said that she wants to buy a car, but he doesn't have any money to help her. I don't want him to take my money to help her buy a car. Please tell me if I am wrong.

G.N.

Dear G.N.,

I am happy to hear that you enjoy reading my column over the years. I am also happy to know that you have a wonderful grandson living with you. I would say that you are blessed. You have a grandson who respects you and he cares for you. He knows that you love him. That is very important. He is a genuine young man. You have done the right things to mould this young man into a very decent and upright individual. You have taught him to take care of himself and to clean the house and to wash his clothes. Every young man should learn to take care of the environment in which he lives.

Concerning his girlfriend, I am also happy to know that she respects you. I do not believe that you should be afraid of what he may do if you were to add his name to your account. You are 65, so you do need to have someone in your account. You may come to the place where you are not able to do everything yourself in the bank. Your bank can give you guidance on this matter. I repeat, you don't have to worry about him withdrawing your money without your permission. But that does not mean that you don't have to be concerned.

This young man knows that you have worked very hard. So, it is unlikely that he would use your money without your permission. Although I might add that sometimes children can do stupid things that may cause you to wonder what got into their heads. I repeat, discuss this matter with the bank. Take care of yourself and be careful in whatever you do.

Pastor