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I CAN’T reconcile myself with the fact that my 26-year-old daughter has no morals whatsoever.
She rips people off all the time. She constantly hurts folk and breaks promises.
Any time she’s found out she runs away and lies. In her world, nothing is ever her fault.
I’ve lost count of the number of boyfriends I’ve had on my front doorstep because of her.
She doesn’t pay back the money she owes to people. She doesn’t care about friends’ belongings or feelings and she thinks the world owes her a living.
I brought her up normally and just don’t know how she’s ended up like this.
Before Christmas she let me down very badly when she was supposed to accompany me on a visit to my mother – her gran.
She cried off at the very last moment with a terrible lie about being mugged.
How can she and I ever be close when she’s turned into such a monster?
I’M dreading going back to work.
My workshy boss took advantage of me every single day last year.
Back in September, she got me to pick up her mother’s ashes from the funeral director one day – and then order her boyfriend out of her apartment the next.
I literally had to stand there while the poor bloke packed his bags and ordered a taxi.
He was in tears asking me why she didn’t have the guts to speak to him herself.
What could I say? That the woman is a complete egomaniac and a monster? Which she is.
Burps
She expects me to be on call all the time. My job description is written on a piece of elastic – I’m supposed to be her professional assistant but she gets me to organise everything from a new bed to her appointments with her gynaecologist.
When I’m at her apartment she walks around in her underwear and burps and passes wind like I don’t exist.
She clearly doesn’t view me as a real man because absolutely nothing is sacred. Even when she’s in the office, I carry her with my creative ideas, practical knowledge and strong work ethic.
The woman is utterly shameless. She happily picks my brains then she passes all my thoughts off as her own – and happily takes the credit.
Our customers think she’s a creative genius, but she’s a fraud. She’s a hopeless drinker and is hooked on all sorts of prescription and non-prescription drugs.
This situation is really beginning to get me down. I’m never normally a negative person, but she is an energy vampire.
She never tells me that I am appreciated or good.
I know I should move on, but I’m frozen with a supreme lack of get up and go.
JANE SAYS: It’s so sad that your daughter has no backbone and no scruples.
But for the sake of your own well-being, you should take a step back and accept she is an adult and her own person.
Tell her that you don’t wish to hear any more of her tall stories. That way you won’t be let down or disillusioned.
But let her know that she is welcome to come back to you when she’s stopped being so selfish. JANE SAYS: You’re clearly a very bright person with good ideas and natural talent. Despite your crafty boss stealing all your thoughts, you’re still coming up with the goods and making her business a success.
But her business is not your business and you have to start putting yourself first.
Have faith in yourself and don’t let her rob you of your confidence or your originality and sparkle.
Compile a list of everything you’re good at and all you’ve achieved. Then draw up a chart of all the jobs you’d like to do in all the places you fancy. You’ve got the work ethic and the experience, so why shouldn’t you branch out and take the world by storm?
The bottom line is that you’ve been with your boss for too long. Familiarity has bred contempt. As she no longer respects you, she takes the mickey.
Don’t do anything rash like giving in your notice this week, but do start hatching a plan so you have something positive and realistic to work towards and achieve.
You’re never going to change your tricky boss, so start making your own luck.
Every day that you stay in her shadow is another day wasted.
Don’t delude yourself – she would get rid of you in a heartbeat if she had to.