DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My daughter just turned 22 and she has yet to have so much as a casual boyfriend. She and her single friends go out either in a big group, or they get together at one another’s homes.

By my daughter’s age I had already had a couple of serious boyfriends and had started dating my future husband.

I worry that she is missing out on what I found was both a fun and educational part of life.

Should I be worried? --- MOTHER OF A LATE BLOOMER

DEAR MOTHER OF A LATE BLOOMER: No, I don’t believe you need to be worried about your daughter’s not yet having been in a romantic relationship. She and her friends are choosing to make their own way, at their own pace.

Many young people these days are focusing on a variety of aspects of their lives rather than looking for love, and that’s okay. It can be a good thing, as a matter of fact, for people to have a better sense of themselves and where they want to go in life before they consider sharing that life with someone else.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE'S MOM: I put together boxes of gifts for my grandkids and then sent them off in what I thought was plenty of time for them to get them by Christmas.

What I didn't realize at the time was I had reversed two of the numbers on the label I printed up for the box for my daughter's stepchildren, and it took nearly two weeks from when I sent it out until it was returned to me.

I know it was my mistake, but my son-in-law told my daughter I did it on purpose because I don't like him and his kids. He can be annoying, but I consider his children my real grandkids and love and treat them the same as I do the ones born into the family.

I resent the package Priority Mail Express, which wasn't cheap, and it got to their house on the Sunday before Christmas.

My son-in-law is still steamed with me and no matter what my daughter tells him, he said he thinks I'm petty.

Who's the petty one here? --- AN HONEST MISTAKE

DEAR AN HONEST MISTAKE: I'm trying to follow your son-in-law's logic, and I confess it eludes me.

In this case, I believe the problem is your son-in-law's since you owned up to your mistake and did what you could to correct it as soon as you knew what happened. I'm not sure what else there was for you to do, or even if there was something else that would've satisfied your son-in-law.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE'S MOM: I didn't have the kind of relationship with my mother that would have allowed me to talk to her about my sex life. That isn't how her generation worked.

I promised myself when I was a young woman I'd be completely open with my future children and encourage them to talk to me about anything and everything, including their sex lives.

My daughter is 23 and enjoys what I would call a healthy sex life. And, since I kept my promise to my younger self to encourage her to talk to me freely about anything she wanted to, I guess I can't now complain when she tells me more than I need to hear about her adventures.

Would I be a hypocrite if I brought up the possibility of her editing some of her experiences when she shares them with me? --- TOO MUCH CAN BE TOO MUCH

DEAR TOO MUCH CAN BE TOO MUCH: Your daughter might not have any idea that some of what she's sharing makes you uncomfortable.

Even though we live in an age where oversharing is a cultural norm, I see nothing wrong with your letting your daughter know that while you're there for her as much as ever, you don't feel the need to be privy to the more intimate details of her sex life.

You may be one of your daughter's best friends, but you are also still her mother.