The family members feel entitled to swan in and out, talk with each other and with her ... all while she works to prepare meals.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter is a talented chef. She has a job cooking for a family of four. They appreciate her food, are not too terribly picky, and pay better than her former thankless jobs in “hospitality.”
I’d like to help my daughter in some way. I’ve suggested headphones, not only to reduce distraction but to send the message that she should be left to go about what is, after all, work! She’s afraid it would appear rude. GENTLE READER: It is to our credit, Miss Manners believes, that Americans have an awkward relationship with those who serve or clean up after us. That is why we sometimes use the term “help” for such workers, as if they are merely kind people volunteering to lend a hand.
Let’s go with a combination. She starts out saying how much she appreciates the family, but then says, “But as you know, I take my work very seriously.” At this point, they are all nodding and about to cover her with compliments.
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