DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My sister says it’s just because we’re so much alike, but my father has set up this constant competition with me that is becoming a major PITA.

I keep hearing how when he was my age he already had done whatever it is I happen to currently be working on. It can be on my school’s basketball team or in Spanish Club, or last time the National Honor Society.

When I do tell him something I did that normal parents would be impressed by, like when I was made captain of both varsity teams I played on this year, he gives me the so what attitude and starts comparing what he can still do as “an old man” that’s better than what I did or can do.

Do you think this is normal? --- NEVER ENOUGH TO IMPRESS MY DAD

DEAR NEVER ENOUGH TO IMPRESS MY DAD: Your father’s reactions may not be normal in general, but they’re certainly not unique.

There’s often a natural competitiveness between younger men and their fathers that I’m betting goes back as far as humans have been around.

Your father’s possibly dealing with some of the insecurities that come with the territory of getting older. It happens to the best of us.

It might be a good idea to let him know you’re not, in fact, competing with him. Rather, you’re just working through your own goals and achieving your own milestones — on your own timetable.

It’s unlikely this will be a magic fix, but at least perhaps the approach will allow you to get some frustration with your dad off your chest by letting him know you’re fine with how you’re living your life.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband and I were in our 40s when our first granddaughter was born. She was the first of four so far, and she is now 12 and two more are on their way by mid-spring.

We absolutely love our grandchildren, but the older ones can be proper little snots sometimes when it comes to how my husband and I deal with all the latest technology.

While we both still work and have to stay on top of the apps and devices we use on our respective jobs, the devices and games our grandchildren like and use — too much if you ask me — can take my husband and me time to be comfortable with. For that, we are teased and taunted, not only by our grandchildren, but sometimes their 30-something parents join in and it bothers me.

We are not stupid people, yet why do our children and grandchildren treat us as if we are sometimes? --- NO DUMMIES

DEAR NO DUMMIES: There’s nothing new in younger generations mocking what they see as the shortcomings of their elders.

Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to occasionally remind your children and grandchildren that each generation has something to teach and something to learn, and that’s how the world moves on.

Also take heart in the fact that it isn’t just those of us over a certain age who struggle with the constantly changing world of technology.

More than once I’ve seen much younger colleagues as stumped as I am by changes and updates, which seem to come along more frequently than we average mortals can reasonably be expected to keep up with.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Last September my sister asked if I could help her out with her eBay business until just after Christmas. It has been growing nicely for her, and she correctly anticipated a very successful and busy holiday ordering season.

She makes customized baby clothes and so that she could concentrate on the creative side, she asked if I could handle the shipping and billing part of the business, for which she pays me by the hour.

Her work is outstanding, and her business is growing at an amazing rate, which I really admire.

The thing is, I want to get back to focusing on my own things, including planning my fall wedding and trying to establish an in-home daycare. I only have to finish two certifications and I’ll have what I need to start getting that off the ground. But it isn’t easy because of the time I’m putting in with my sister’s business after I finish my own workday.

I know she is counting on me to continue helping her, but I don’t want to start resenting her for holding me back from what I need to do, which I think I am starting to do.

How do I get out of this situation without hurting my sister, not to mention having my mom get on me for not sticking to working for her? --- NEED TO GET BACK TO MY OWN STUFF

DEAR NEED TO GET BACK TO MY OWN STUFF: In addition to admiring your sister’s accomplishments, you need to consider the importance of all you’ve got going on in your own life.

If she’s already paying you to help her out, then it’s probably time your sister starts looking to hire someone else to free you up to get on with your obligations and plans.

Your being her right hand helper has most likely meant a lot to her, but if her business continues to thrive, it isn’t unreasonable for your sister — and your mother — to understand and accept that with growth things will necessarily change.