It’s perfectly natural to want to spend “alone” time with your daughter once in a while. But how can you do it without hurting your son in law’s feelings?

A reader named Kathyee, who read about the topic in my “Modern Manners” column in Real Simple, wrote yesterday to offer a few tips:

“In regards to the mom who wants to have dinner with her daughter-without the son-in-law, the answer is really simple: Invite her to a girls’ day out: shopping, mani/pedis (to be stereotypical) a sporting event, a museum—-anything that would not be of interest to the s-i-l,” Kathyee wrote. “Then follow it up with dinner.”

Thanks for writing and for sharing the suggestions, Kathyee.

What about you? Do you have a tip to share about how to exclude someone without hurting the person’s feelings?

(image via RealSimple.com)