DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I know that I am not always on time for everything, especially now that I have two kids of my own, but I have a friend who even before we started having families could NEVER make it anywhere on time. She was even late for her own wedding.

Back when it was just a group of friends or just us two getting together, it didn’t seem so bad. Now, though, when I don’t have as much time for a social life, it really bugs me that she can’t make it to our meetups on time. Whenever I say anything to her, she just laughs it off.

I don’t think she does it on purpose. I just think she’s one of those genetically unable to be on time people.

What can I do to waste less time waiting for my always late friend? --- WAITING, WAITING, WAITING

DEAR WAITING, WAITING, WAITING: When our kids were small, I used to try and calculate at least five extra minutes preparation time per child for getting out the door. It’s like building in traffic or bad weather time.

Perhaps something along that same line may work with your perpetually tardy buddy. For instance, if you’re able to meet her at noon, tell her to be there at 11:45 a.m. If she beats you to your rendezvous, then it’ll be her turn to wait. If she’s late for the designated time, she may be at least a little closer to what you originally had in mind.

Another option is to become a time nag, but in my experience, constantly prodding someone to be prompt rarely works.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My son had COVID in March of this year. He contracted it while working at a restaurant. He did not have to be hospitalized, thank goodness, but he was down for nearly a month, and still gets tired more easily than he used to do.

He is scheduled to return to college in a couple of weeks, and I am a basket case thinking about everything that could go wrong with him and his health. He was on the track team before the shut-downs, and is planning to go out for it again this year. I just do not know if he is strong enough to handle this and a totally full class load, and a work-study job. I know plenty of kids do it all, but not too many of them are doing it as a COVID survivor.

My wish is that he would sit out the sports for the first semester, and focus on staying on top of his health and his classes, especially since I keep reading stories about the potentially lasting heart problems in young men who have had COVID.

How much should I try to discourage my son from getting back in the middle of a too hectic, too physically strenuous situation? --- COVID SURVIVOR’S MOM

DEAR COVID SURVIVOR’S MOM: I completely understand your concern. This is a topic best discussed with your son’s physician. As I understand it, college athletes are required to have pre-season physicals, at least in the case of NCAA member schools. Hopefully, your son’s doctor is aware of any new recommendations for post-COVID cardiac or other system screenings, and if your son has already had and passed a thorough pre-season physical, that would appear to be a good sign that he’s considered fit to participate in sports. But, much is still unknown about long-term health effects of the virus, even on young people.

Since you have valid concerns about how ready he is for more than just the athletic aspect of his daily life at school, it’s worth it to be honest with him about your worries. It might be worth it for him to consult with his doctor about more than just his athletic readiness, for everyone’s peace of mind.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Even though I was my son’s primary driving teacher, I have to say that when I ride with him behind the wheel, it’s a white-knuckle experience.

He lately got a big promotion and a bonus at work and bought his dream car, a vintage red Camaro convertible. We live in Southern California, so it’s the perfect place for a ragtop. But this loving mother is not ready to ride with him until he learns to drive like a grown-up, instead of what my father used to call a “hotdog”!

I love my son, and hate to hurt his feelings, but how do I make it clear to him that I don’t need a thrill ride every time we hit the freeway? --- MOTHER OF A HOTDOG

DEAR MOTHER OF A HOTDOG: I’d like to be able to say, with confidence, that all young men outgrow their wild driving styles, that it’s just a phase; but personal experience with more than one fully-grown male driver proves otherwise.

While your son may be too old to have to do what you tell him to do, hopefully he isn’t beyond listening to what his mother considers sound advice. Your being up-front with him about your reluctance to be his passenger may help him realize that a little compromise on his part when you’re in the car would be a good and right thing to do. At least he’ll be under no illusion that you enjoy his haphazard driving style, and you’ll not have to hold your tongue in addition to holding on for dear life.