Dear MTN, My daughter is 21 years old and dating a 48 year old man! She claims to be so in love and is even speaking of marriage! I am appalled at this relationship and want it to end now! This man is one year older than me, therefore, old enough to be her father! I don't know what to do. Normally she values my advice; she and I are very close. Whenever I bring up the issue we only fight. Although I know she is old enough to make her own decisions, I don't think I will ever accept this relationship. I do not want a "son-in-law" that is older than me! What do I do? - Angry Mom on Long Island Dear Angry Mom, I do understand your concerns. Although I am usually the first one to say that age doesn't matter, compatibility and chemistry are the two main factors that you must have-this is quite a large age difference. My rule of thumb is that a woman can date down five years, and up ten years - give a few years with exemptions! However your daughter is very young. At 21, she probably isn't going to be the same girl as she will be when she's 31. That's how I would explain it to her. Obviously you can't force her to listen to either one of us, but I am on your side on this one. I would advise her to date him for five years, and then if they are still together, then they are ready for marriage. Good luck. If that doesn't work, use your Irish guilt, that my Mom always used on me. It works all the time! - MTN Dear MTN, I met my wife five years ago and we got married last march. She is now pregnant with our first child and I could not be happier! The only problem is that she got laid off right before our wedding and has not made an attempt to find another job. Now that she is pregnant, I of course want her to be able to be home and take care of our baby, but I am so nervous I will not be able to be the sole breadwinner of the household! I make a good living, but babies are expensive and so is the cost of living! Even if my wife would take a part time job it would really ease my mind regarding our finances. My question is, how do I bring up this issue without causing a fight? - Tom Dear Tom, I really could have used a little more information on this problem to help me. I think it really depends on how much money you make, and how much extra money you have every month. You could try it out for a few months and see at the end of every month if you are able to make ends meat, then you are fine! But if you fall short every month, your wife will notice it as well, and maybe even volunteer to find a babysitter to go back to work. It's very difficult to find a job now for your wife, already being pregnant, and knowing she'll have to take off soon, so why don't you just talk to your wife, mention my suggestion, and she how she reacts. It will be a lot easier to make this decision once the baby is here. No matter what, things always work out! Just make sure, no matter what you do, even if you decide to get a second, part-time job, to take the time out and truly enjoy these upcoming years. These are the best years of your life bringing in a precious, beautiful baby into the world. Enjoy. - MTN Please email in your questions to MTN to [email protected]. Maureen Tara Nelson is a private Matchmaker for the entire NY Metro area and has over eight years of experience and over 1000 success stories. She has about 500 active, attractive clients in her private data base, so if you are single and ready to find the love of your life, Call Maureen Tara Nelson, Private Matchmaking, Inc. 1-888-31-MATCH.