DR. WALLACE: I just received the shock of my life last week! On the very day I turned 18, my dear sweet mother smiled sweetly, said, "Happy birthday, dear!" and then, after handing me a nice card and a few gifts, told me she is going to start charging me rent immediately.

My jaw dropped to the floor. I'll admit that I never saw this coming. Yes, my mom is a single parent, but she has never once asked me to contribute one penny to our household expenses. She's allowed me to keep all of my babysitting earnings that I've made over the past year.

I sat down and thought about it, and I think she has recently been struggling financially due to COVID-19. She lost her good job as a waitress at a nice place where she made really good money in tips.

I can appreciate that finances are tough right now, but at the same time, I don't think I should have to pay rent just to keep living at home. What do you think about this new development? — Still in Shock, via email

STILL IN SHOCK: Welcome to adult life! At 18, you are officially a legal adult, and your mother's request sounds like her way of welcoming you to adulthood. At least she did so with a sweet smile, as you pointed out!

If you have a job, even a babysitting job, then I do feel you should help out by paying a portion of your earnings to rent.

Your letter did not mention specific details about your current life. Do you work now, or are you planning to get a job soon? Are you planning to attend a junior college in your area upon high school graduation?

In any case, I feel the amount of rent you pay should be tied to what you can reasonably earn. If, for example, you do find a good part-time or full-time job, you can hopefully negotiate a fair amount based upon your earnings. I trust your mother will be reasonable, and I trust you'll still be better off financially under your mother's roof than trying to move out on your own at this early stage in your life.

ARE CHILDLESS PEOPLE OFTEN LONELY?

DR. WALLACE: My neighbor doesn't have any children or even a husband, and because of this, I kind of think she's lonely. Whenever I see her outside our house, she starts up a conversation with me, and she'll talk to me as long as I can stay in the conversation. I often have to tell her that I need to finish my chores or do my homework so that I can gracefully exit our discussions once I'm ready to move on. Don't get me wrong — I like her a lot. It's just that I have a busy life and our conversations are always unplanned, so I do usually have to do something else with my time.

At the home I live in, there are a lot of people! It's a house full of brothers, sisters, parents and pets. I can't imagine not having anyone to talk to all day long. How do people deal with being alone? — The Friendly Next-Door Neighbor, via email

THE FRIENDLY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR: Many people have busy lives that include jobs, routines and creative sides that fill their lives with experiences. Just because this nice lady next door lives alone does not necessarily mean she's lonely.

With the friendly personality you describe, she's likely living her life to the fullest. Many people work from home these days and also socialize regularly via the internet or Zoom videos.

I do feel it's nice of you to politely engage her in conversations regularly, even if they range from five to 10 minutes at a time. Being a good, friendly neighbor is a wonderful quality, and it's nice to see a young person such as you master this skill at such an early age.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Sephelonor at Pixabay