Last child left at home balks at mother’s plans to move

DEAR ABBY: I’m a guy in college, majoring in computer science. I live with my mother, who’s in her 60s and works as an elementary school teacher.

Right now, we live in an urban area, near some big cities. Most of our family originally lived here, but my siblings all moved to a mid-southern state, one after another. Mom says she wants to retire from teaching as soon as I graduate from college, which should happen in two years. She also wants to move to the state where my siblings reside, mainly to see her grandchildren more often. I understand her motivation, but the thing is, I’m not sure I want to move down there. There are likely more job opportunities where I live right now, and my siblings have a history of driving me absolutely nuts.

Am I overthinking this? Should I move with my mother or stay here? And if I do decide to stay, how should I tell my mother about it? — ON THE FENCE IN THE EAST

DEAR ON THE FENCE: Tell your mother the same way you told me, leaving out the part about your siblings driving you crazy. That there are more career opportunities in the location where you’re now living is a sensible, logical reason to stay. If things change, you can always move later. 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 69440, Los Angeles, Calif., 90069.