I FEEL LIKE CINDERELLA!

Dear Coleen

I am 17 years old and I feel like I’m the only one doing chores around the house. I have two older sisters who live with us and they just ignore the mess like it’s my duty to clear up after them. My mum writes down chores for me in the morning while she goes shopping with my sisters.

The only time she takes me out is when I volunteer at the pet shelter. It’s my only escape from being at home. I sometimes feel like I’m being left out of family things and whenever I ask to go out with them, my mum says there’s no space in the car.

I’ve also heard my mother and sister bickering about me, but when they see me, they just go quiet. Is it normal to be treated like this?

Coleen says

No, it’s not and I’d love to speak to your mum to get her side of things. But just going on what you’ve told me, it shouldn’t be your job to pick up after your sisters.

Tell your mum that you’re happy to do your chores and clear up after yourself, but you’re not tidying up after them when they don’t lift a finger. You have a right to say that you think it’s unfair.

I think you should also get your mum on her own, preferably away from the house, and have a really honest chat about how you’re feeling. Explain that you feel left out and would like to join them on outings or how about having one day a week that’s set aside for you and your mum to spend together.

You might find that one of your older sisters has something going on in her life that they don’t want to share with you because they don’t want to upset you. That would explain them going quiet when you enter a room.

The only way to find out is to demand some honest answers.