I love my mother, I really do. I just can't seem to properly converse with her though. She gets irritated over such small things though and throws a massive fit. Today she was upset when she got home because the kitchen was dirty, so she threw our Christmas tree over and made a rude comment to my grandmother. Then she proceeded to furiously clean the kitchen and said that she would start cleaning the kitchen from now on after she gets home from work. I politely tried to tell her that the kitchen was dirty because people have been sick in the house and she told me that that was a sh***y excuse. I am still in high school and have to take care of my grandmother (who is blind and really sedentary), my 8 year old sister who cannot feed herself, and a puppy who needs affection and bathroom breaks. We also have a lot of cats that need monitoring plus I am behind in online school. It is understandable that I really just want to leave the house when I have been busy all day and my mom comes home to point out things that are not spotless while she gets angry. Her fury consists of self-pitying, stomping around the house, throwing things at walls, slamming doors, and insulting people. I also have been told to shut up numerous times which has never helped with my self-esteem. Other than that she is a wonderful mother that is fiercely protective and very strong. She is a single parent and times are hard. I just need to know how I can talk to her without her shutting down and getting pissed off at me. It is hard.