DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Not wanting to freeload, I suggested that my mom charge me rent. She seemed surprised, and said she’d get back to me on that. Later, she appeared in a rather formal outfit, and said she was now my landlady. She spelled out my rental rate and terms; it was higher than I had planned on, but she conveyed such an air of authority that I didn’t argue.

Later, when she was back to her normal self, I told her the rate was too high. She stepped out and returned as the “landlady,” and asked what the problem was. I explained that the rate was more than I could afford; she told me I could either pay it or find somewhere else to live.

I decided to forget about rent and hoped my mom would also. However, I have now received notices of late rent and eviction.

Not caring to interact with her alter-ego, I haven’t tried to talk with my mom about this. She is normally loving and supportive, but I’m afraid she will transform into the “landlady” and kick me out, or possibly sue me for the rent and late fees I already owe.

Should I pass my mom a note explaining that I love her, but I don't like her alter-ego, and I can’t afford the rate she is trying to charge me? I would have trouble finding another place to live, and I regret ever mentioning rent. Anything else I should include? --- THE “LANDLADY’S” KID

DEAR THE “LANDLADY’S” KID: I’m speculating that this alter ego approach is your mom’s way of letting you know you can have her be your mom, or you can have her be your landlady, but she isn’t inclined to be both. She may also be trying to teach you a lesson about the necessity of sticking to the terms of an agreement, even when you find yourself in over your head. A third potential scenario is she’s giving you a not-so-subtle nudge toward getting a place of your own.

I think you originally did the right thing in offering to pay some kind of rent. Where you might have gone wrong was not negotiating hard enough for a financial arrangement you could easily manage — another life lesson, courtesy your mother.

Perhaps it’s now your turn to play a little hardball back, and renegotiate the terms of your tenancy in her house. You could try slipping “Mom” a note pleading your case, but you may have more success putting together a formal, well-thought-out counterproposal addressed to the “Landlady.”

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When we were dating, I used to think it was kind of cool that I had a girlfriend who was as into sports, especially football and basketball, as I am. Fast forward to two years into our marriage, and I now find it really annoying sometimes when my wife gets so nuts about her teams and their games, that if her favorite is playing mine, she won’t talk to me for at least two days if her guys lose to mine.

I don’t want to stop watching sports with my wife, but how do I get her to understand it’s only a game? --- MARRIED TO AN UBERFAN

DEAR MARRIED TO AN UBERFAN: Since your relationship was in part founded on a shared enjoyment of sports, it’s not surprising your wife has continued to embrace her passion. However, it may be time you openly share your feelings that her over-the-top reactions are taking the pleasure out of watching games with her, especially since it sounds like she’s holding you personally responsible for her teams’ defeats. She may not realize she’s doing that, and if she can take even a small step back to see how her behavior bothers you, maybe she can work on curbing her enthusiasm.

Hopefully, in addition to watching sports, you and your wife have other hobbies you can do together or separately. If not, it might be a good thing to develop some. Few marriages can thrive on only one common interest — especially one that naturally inspires competition.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Here I go, sounding like the old fart I used to think my father was when I was young, but I’m going to say it anyway.

Why is it so hard to find young people willing to work hard enough to earn their pay? I run a delivery service, and I’ve had to can at least half my new hires within a month because they’re either no-shows or late two out of five shifts in a row, or they do a sh

*y job of leaving packages or getting signatures when necessary.

There’s no reason I should have to spend as much time as I do trying to smooth things over with angry customers and clients.

What’s the trick to finding decent, conscientious people to work for me? --- BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER

DEAR BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER: I’ve heard this story before, both from frustrated bosses and those staff members who get stuck picking up the slack left by their less reliable coworkers. And although it may seem like the majority of complaints are aimed at younger hires, it’s sometimes those old enough to know better who are accused of not pulling their own weight.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, one thought that comes to mind is to encourage the better current or former employees to refer people to you who they know who are looking for a job, and who they believe to be competent, conscientious workers. Personal experience has proven more than once that birds of a feather do indeed flock together.

Another possibility is to contact a temp agency, if you haven’t already tried working with one. It may cost you extra up front, but at least the people they send over should’ve been screened before being referred to potential employers. If they work out on a temporary basis, they may also prove to be the right kind of longer-term staff you’re looking for.