Christmas Update on Dirty Pillows: She won't stop calling!!!!

Actually I have a question that I was going to make a separate post. My SO's dad and mom got divorced when he was 8 because his father was an alcoholic and got into a car accident where both of his son were injured very badly while drunk. He had to go to jail for this (and thus they got divorced) for a few years. Before he left for prison, he told my 8 year old SO that he was the man of the house and to always take care of his mother. His father passed a few years later, but he really took the speech to heart and became his mother's emotional husband when he was sooo young.

My SO explained this to me a few weeks ago and said this is why he is so attached to her and feels the need to take care of her even though she's perfectly capable of supporting herself. I wasn't really sure what to respond, but I did manage to muster out that it's not his responsibility anymore and I doubt that his Dad meant for this to be taken to this extreme. Any advice?

/r/JUSTNOMIL Thread Parent