Letter writer wishes their mom would just say what she thinks instead of asking loaded questions to the point of madness.
My mother does a million things that come under the heading of “playing games.” One of them is this: When she wants to make a point, instead of stating it straight-up, she badgers me with leading questions. For example:
As my mother drove me to the airport after a break, she asked whether Jane had another guy in the picture. I said, firmly, “No,” which was true to my knowledge. We talked for a couple more minutes, then my mother repeated, “Does Jane have someone else?” and I said, “NO!” I suppressed the urge to say, “I already answered that question.” There was silence in the car for a few minutes.
In your airport ride, you didn’t “just SAY IT,” either: “I already answered that question.” Right? And you didn’t follow that with: “What I’m hearing, Mom, is that you have something else you want to say about this?”had done something different instead of figuring out how your choices could have changed the result.You’re still navigating your way out of them yourself, though. And that’s where you’re going to find the answer to your question about your mother’s game-playing, and Jane’s.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Carolyn Hax: Stay-at-home mom worries about the example she’s setting for kidsDo kids develop harmful gender expectations when they have a stay-at-home mom and a working dad?
Read more »
Carolyn Hax: Mom dumped stepdad and wants to coo about her new love to her kidMom dropped the letter writer’s stepdad for her college friend — and wants her kid to be as happy about it as she is.
Read more »
Carolyn Hax: Mom worries about daughter’s family plans with polyamorous coupleA mom worries about her daughter, who is in a relationship with a married couple and plans to adopt their (theoretical) baby.
Read more »
Carolyn Hax: Shouldn’t husband come home early, now that his mom is okay?A couple agreed he’d go abroad for two weeks for his mom’s surgery. She bounced back, but he wants to see friends instead of rushing home.
Read more »
Carolyn Hax: Ex offered son a loan — with strings that could trip up the familyEx offered their son a sweet loan to buy a house, but on one condition: He can’t tell his sister, who isn’t getting the deal.
Read more »
Carolyn Hax: Is it worth proposing with a simple, ‘subpar’ engagement ring?A reader plans to propose to much-wealthier girlfriend, and worries the gesture will “lose something” with a simple ring.
Read more »