Ask Amy | Her lovey-dovey act is so much mush to kin

Dear Amy:

I know that this is silly, but I would appreciate your take and suggestions on what my family should do.

Our family has a relative, in her 50s, who is in a fairly new relationship and seems to think that it's necessary to have public displays of affection in our presence.

We can be sitting there eating, playing cards, watching TV, and they seem to think it is OK to kiss for a while.

I'm not talking about a hug or a kiss on the cheek. I'm talking about a full-mouth kiss, followed by another, followed by another.

You get the picture!

None of us knows how to react!

Is it proper to look away, watch, applaud, or what?

It really does make us quite uncomfortable.

Please give us some suggestions on what we could say or do in this situation!

Dear Not: Ooh. I feel your pain.

First, you should give your relative the benefit of hearing how this makes you feel. You can say, "I'm so happy that you're in this relationship. You two seem like such a good match. But you know, when you and Jim make out in front of everybody, it is pretty embarrassing to the rest of us. None of us know where to look."

However, because public displays of affection are just that - public - if your private response doesn't achieve the desired result, then you can make your feelings public.

You can try to be lighthearted, i.e. "Hey, Aunt Margaret! Get a room!"

You can also turn it into a game of sorts. For instance, every time Aunt Margaret starts to make out, you and the rest of the family can take another brownie, fistful of popcorn, or sip of a drink.

There's no reason why she should have all of the fun.