Hi everyone,
I’m struggling with how to handle my mother’s behaviour lately. She’s becoming increasingly difficult, that is: more argumentative, easily angered, and she ignores things that need to be fixed around the home, even though money isn’t the issue.
The part that really hurts me is how she acts whenever my partner comes to collect me. She doesn’t say anything directly, but her whole demeanour changes. She goes cold, silent, and visibly bitter. He’s never done anything wrong, but she clearly resents my relationship and treats me differently because of it.
Normally, I’ve always been happy to help her with things like online shopping or topping up her phone. But at this stage, I just can’t stomach it. She’s frequently cold or paranoid toward me, yet still expects me to help her. I know from experience that saying “no” outright would only cause an argument, so sometimes I make small excuses instead (like saying something’s out of stock or my app isn’t working).
I work full-time and live at home, so I do get some peace while I’m at work but when I get home, she’ll likely start asking again.
How do I manage this situation in a calm, self-protective way? I don’t want constant conflict, but I also can’t keep giving in when she’s treating me with so little respect.