Question
Semi-independence has reared its ugly head in our youngest who goes off to college in the fall. Our mostly obedient and kindhearted daughter has basically grown a head so big we are surprised she can get through the front door the rare times she graces us with her narcissistic presence. What began as occasional clothes on the floor has grown to a room so full of newly purchased clothes (bought with her own money earned from jobs), discarded boxes and half unpacked duffel bags that she can't even step in the room. This has expanded to her sister's room that is strewn with coat hangers, box stuffing and unorganized t-shirts. If she has flitted through the house on a rare weekend from a summer job as camp counselor, we have clothes over the banister, opened boxes of cereal in the kitchen, bowls with milk on a bathroom counter, dirty clothes on a bathroom floor...you get the picture. We made our expectations clear on wanting the clutter cleaned in both rooms and nothing left in family areas. Imagine our surprise to come home from a week absence to find nothing had changed. To top that, she has said she can't be bothered with writing thank-you notes for graduation gifts. With her now volunteering for three weeks serving at a Christian camp with no phone and then only seeing her half a day before she heads off again, we are not sure how to handle. She does have our hand-me down car...
