Decline titles given by beau’s mother

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I ask my boyfriend’s mother not to address me as her daughter-in-law or my son as her grandson? (He is not her grandson, and she knows that.)

GENTLE READER: Why, exactly, does this annoy you? There are so many para-families these days that it strikes Miss Manners as welcoming of the lady to count you as hers. If you truly want no part of this, the polite way to correct her is to say, “I’m afraid I cannot claim that honor.”