Category Archives for "Adults"

0 Why do I have bad luck?

Beshoo asks: Why do I have lots of bad luck (sometimes)?

Hi Beshoo –

Well, I can’t tell you why this is true, but the answer is – because you exist!  Everyone has lots of bad luck, especially sometimes.  Even what seem to the luckiest people in the world do.  Sports heroes have bad days on the field, movie stars get rejected for a role or get terrible reviews or (worst of all) no one comes to a movie they did, I’ll bet even that Uggie who everyone’s so in love with right now – the little dog in the movie “The Artist” – I’ll bet even he gets a Continue reading

0 How to treat someone in a bad mood

ASERI asks: How should I treat my boyfriend when he’s in a bad mood?

Hi Aseri –

Like all dogs, I am extremely sensitive to the moods of those I’m close to.  I’ll sense that someone I love is sad, and put my head in their lap, or pick up that someone is tense, and avoid them.  So I understand your wish to treat your boyfriend in the right way when he’s in a bad mood.

What I don’t know, though, is what sort of bad mood you mean.  Is he feeling sad, depressed, hopeless, tense, frustrated, angry, or something else?

Regardless, of course the first thing I’ll say to you is to make sure you stay Continue reading

1 Should girlfriends not talk with other boys?

MycahBaby asks: My boyfriend gets mad when I talk to other guys, but he talks to other girls. What should I do?

Hi MycahBaby –

What you’re dealing with is that you’re expecting your relationship to be fair, when he’s operating from what’s called a “Double Standard.”  In his mind, there’s nothing wrong with him talking to other girls, but you talking to other boys is a horrible insult.  You have three basic choices:  You can accept him the way he is and live by his rules, you can change his mind, or you can Continue reading

0 How to help a child who’s afraid of many things

fly asks: My 11-year-old son has always gotten very anxious for, for example, going to school first day, taking exams, or participating in tournaments – he really gets scared, and sometimes he gets sick. How can I help him?

Hi fly –

I’m so sorry for you and your son – living in such fear (or watching your child in it) is clearly a miserable experience.  Now, it’s very normal for a child to be frightened of any of the things you mention – the first day of school, exams, or tournaments – but it sounds like his fear is Continue reading

0 How to speak up in the classroom

shae asks: How can I be noticed in class, and how can I stop being quiet in class?

Hi shae –

This is really interesting.  See, grownups have been trying to get kids to SHUT UP in class for thousands of years!  I’ve never heard the other side of the issue before!

But I’m guessing that you’re not asking about how to talk with other kids, act silly, giggle, and make the teacher furious.  I’m thinking you want to be more a part of class, less shy, and more assertive.

The important question we need to look at, in order to help this along, is Why you’ve had trouble with this.  After all, I imagine every teacher you’ve ever had has encouraged their students to be involved in class.  So what’s gotten in your Continue reading

0 Why do guys mess with girls’ heads?

secrets and lies asks: Why do guys always mess with girls’ heads?

Hi secrets and lies –

This is a very funny question!  Because 45% of the world thinks guys are always messing with girls’ heads, another 45% think girls are always messing with guys’ heads, and the other 10% are guys and girls whose heads are getting messed with by their own Continue reading

0 What to do when your friends hang out without you

inez3 asks: All of my friends have gone to one of my best friend’s sleepover and they didn’t invite me – but they never do any way. And I’m really upset.

Hi inez3 –

I don’t know if there’s a worse feeling in the world than being left out by those you love.  Children hate being left at home when their parents go out, and, wow, if you’ve ever had a puppy, you know how nutty we get when we’re shut away from the family, even for a few minutes!

Then you add to that that humans have different interests at different times, and between the ages of about 10 and 21, they really care more about their peers and how their peers see them than anything else.  So I’ll just bet you’re feeling awful about this!  And I relate!  I still hate it whenever Handsome leaves me alone at all, and even worse when he’s with other people.  And when he comes home smelling of dogs he played with, it just drives me Continue reading

1 How to move on from bad memories

Mention asks: How can I forget my bad memories from when I was hurt in the past?

Hi Mention –

That’s a great question.  People always tell us to move on past the bad things in our pasts, and live life in the present.  But how can we do that when those bad memories just won’t let us go?!

Well, here’s the deal – those memories are there for a very good reason.  They’re there to protect you from making mistakes again.  Now if the memory is that your hand really hurt the last time you put it onto a hot stove, that’s great and will truly serve you forever.  But let’s say the memory is something more like “I went on a date with a girl and she treated me horribly.”  Well, your mind might tell you that going on a date again would be as dumb an idea as putting your hand back onto that stove.

The trick with memories like this, ones that argue things that aren’t completely true, is to have a Continue reading

0 What advice would you give the new Egypt?

super-smart-girl asks: I need some advice for Egyptians, so I can send it to my Facebook wall. Do you have any good ideas?

Hi super-smart-girl –

Thanks for writing me.  I’m a little confused by your question, though.  Are you asking for advice for Egyptians?  Like, what advice would you give to the nation of Egypt, with all the changes they’re going through right now?

If that’s the case, then here’s mine:  A nation who treats all its people, and its neighbors, with respect, dignity, and kindness, will last centuries.  A nation who treats its people with prejudice and cruelty will Continue reading

0 When should you loan friends money?

Coolb asks: A guy approached me through a common friend. He had my mob no (I don’t know how – I hardly know him). He kinda likes me – but frankly I think he’s after my money (he also asked for some financial help). We had some general talks for a while. What do you think I should do?

Hi Coolb –

There’s a very famous line from Shakespeare, advice a father gives to a son as he leaves home: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”  Now I believe in generosity and helping out everyone one can, but I also believe in being careful.

There’s a lot in this scenario that makes my nose twitch.  He had your phone number without your giving it to him, and then he’s asking you for money?  It sounds to me like he used your friend to get close to you, at least in part for that money.  Now he might be absolutely interested in you for yourself, too, but even if so…

Let’s look at the two possibilities.  First, he’s not really into you, and he’s just after your Continue reading