Dear Gwen, 

    My mother is a neurotic control-freak! I start sweeping, and she will take over because I am sweeping the wrong way. Normally, I’d say, “Great- no chores”, but she then complains that I don’t ever do anything. AAH! What do I do?

Sincerely, 

    Always Slightly Imperfect

 

Dear Always Slightly Imperfect,

    I completely know where you’re coming from! My mother, like yours, is also a neurotic control-freak. However, I always try to put myself in her shoes. She gets home exhausted from work, so a clean house can mean the difference between a good mood and a bad mood. I think the most important thing to do with a control freak mother is to clean when she is away. That way, you get your chores done, but she won’t nag you that you’re doing it wrong. Once she sees the effort you put in to clean and help her out she will hardly notice that you swept the dirt under the rug, left streaks with the mop, or dusted with the wrong towel. She might even overlook the week-old, half-eaten sandwich that you keep forgetting to throw out. 

Hang in there!

Gwen