Sims keep stopping/cancelling out their actions to do other things

This same sort of thing is happening to me. When I make my sim clean up dishes/take out the trash, they will pick up what ever I tell them to clean up, stand there for a couple seconds, and set the dirty dishes/trash back down if the dishes are not exactly right next to the trash can. The same thing happens for spoiled food just sitting out in the open, causing my sim to become uncomfortable from filthy surroundings. I have no idea whether or not it is specific to brindleton bay or if it happens everywhere.