I have a German wife. My mother is a very traditional Christian. When my wife and I first started dating, I was still living at home with my parents. None of my brother and sister's partners were allowed to sleep over, but with Kathleen, things changed.

I didn't ask for permission from my mother (my father couldn't have cared less) but rather just started having her sleep over in the same bed. I truly got the sense that my mother understood Germans have a more liberal attitude toward sex than we conservative Americans do, and just accepted that.

I suppose I could ask my mother now what her thoughts were since it's been so many years!