1) The author describes their father as being very strict and rule-oriented, like a "Jewish mother", due to being the oldest of 10 children and having to take on caregiver responsibilities early on. 2) Some examples of the father's strict rules included making the children brush their teeth for exactly 3 minutes while being monitored, only allowing certain foods to be eaten carefully, and closely supervising chore completion like loading the dishwasher. 3) The author believes these strict parenting styles shaped them into a perfectionist and overachiever, and that they inherited their father's obsession with efficiency and correct behavior.