Being A Mermaid Is A Chore

(My younger sister has Down Syndrome and because of this she tends to get obsessed with certain TV shows. She has recently become obsessed with a TV show regarding three girls who turn into mermaids whenever they come into contact with water and have powers regarding water which go out of control during a full moon. She has become obsessed to the point where she thinks she is a mermaid like the girls.)

Me: “[Sister], can you please do the dishes? It’s your turn to do them.”

Sister: “No, I will turn into a mermaid!”

Me: “Wear gloves, then.”

(A few days later…)

Mum: “[Sister], go have a shower.”

Sister: “No, I will turn into a mermaid!”

Mum: “Go have a bath, then.”

(A week later:)

Dad: “[Sister], can you go outside and lock the chickens up for the night?”

Sister: “No, it’s a full moon!” *it isn’t* “I will turn into a mermaid!”

Dad: “Fine. I will do it but tomorrow night you are doing it.”

(This continued whenever we asked her to do one of the above. Thankfully it doesn’t happen so often now but she still insists that she is a mermaid!)