Dan Dakich: My Mom Is Shacking Up With Her 91-Year-Old Boyfriend In My House & I'm Not Sure This Is OK

Would you tell your senior-aged (are we allowed to say elderly these days?) mother she can't share a bed in your house with her 91-year-old boyfriend because they're not married?

That's the dilemma OutKick legend Dan Dakich finds himself in just hours before he gives one of the biggest speeches of his life. Dan, who famously stopped Michael Jordan in MJ's final college basketball game, is being inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (the entire state, not Indiana University) tonight, but his mind was left racing this morning during an appearance on "OutKick the Morning" with Charly Arnolt. 

Imagine the butterflies in Dan's stomach as he's honored with this huge award while this shacking up drama is racing through his mind.

"When I was engaged to my first wife, we would go to my mom and dad's house and they wouldn't let us sleep in the same room," Dakich told Arnolt. "Because we weren't married," Dan added. "I had to go upstairs." 

"Well now, my mother and her 91-year-old boyfriend are in my house. Now, when they go to the bedroom, do I say, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, you gotta sleep over there.’"

"I was going to turn my head and say, ‘What, we’re not Catholic anymore,'" the new Indiana Hall of Famer deadpanned. 

According to the experts at The Arbor Way, a senior living facility (hopefully I'm using the right terminology) have advice for Dan via its "18 General Tips for Dealing With Stubborn, Aging Parents" series.  

"2. Avoid power struggles — pick your battles," The Arbor way advises.

"Don’t push, nag, or harangue your parents. Giving ultimatums will only get their backs up, and yelling, arguing, slamming doors, and so on could seriously damage the relationship. Instead, empower your loved one by making them a part of every decision-making process. Validate their emotions and show them that you value their opinions."

In other words, Dan should approach this in a loving way. He should value his mother's opinion on hooking up tonight with her 91-year-old boy toy at Dan's house, and then Dan should remind her that he pays the bills and puts in a full week of work on OutKick and Indianapolis radio to keep the lights on. 

His house, his rules. 

"4. Know that timing is everything," The Arbor Way continues. 

"Productive conversations never happen when everyone is feeling stressed out or exhausted. Make sure you choose to have challenging conversations on days when your parents are feeling relaxed rather than depressed or anxious. That goes for you, too — avoid talking when you feel particularly stressed because your anxiety will only add to their fear."

In other words, Dan should have the bedroom conversation before he starts suckin' down a bunch of HOF celebratory beers. 

There's other great advice that Dan should really think about in the next couple of hours before this bedroom situation really flares up. 

11. Bring in other family.

14. Outline the consequences.

16. Try to understand the motivation behind their behavior.

18. Treat your aging parents like adults.

I'm anxious to see how this goes in Indianapolis tonight with so much on Dan's mind. Will his mom relent? Will she and the boyfriend wait until Dan is snoring on the recliner before defying his wishes?

This one could get real interesting. Stay tuned. 

Have you had to tell your senior-aged mother she's not allowed to shack up with her boyfriend in your house? Tell me how you handled it?

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com