My mum won’t talk to me after I called her a “victim”

DEAR DEIDRE: MUM isn’t talking to me since I called her out on her routine of always playing the victim when there’s a family argument.

I’m a girl of 17 and no matter who is having the grumble, Mum always turns it back to her, saying things like, “I’m just a slave to you all” or, “Nobody wants to hear what I have to say”.

She’s 42 and last week Dad passed comment to me about our food shopping bill when Mum yelled, “I do my best but I’m an unpaid chef for you all”.

I flipped, saying, “Why don’t you say how you feel instead of making little digs?”.

She hasn’t spoken to me since.

DEIDRE SAYS: Your mum lacks confidence.

She isn’t outspoken, so she chips in on the end of somebody else having a moan, to get her frustration across.

She’s giving you the silent treatment as confrontation isn’t her thing either, so be the grown-up and say you’re sorry she’s feeling undermined and encourage her to speak out.

My support pack Raising Self-esteem may give you a better understanding.