Category Archives for "Life Skills"

0 How to let go of caring for a sibling

musicgirl asks: My mom got diagnosed with cancer all the way back in 2006. I was 13 back then, and my sister was 12. Since her diagnosis I’ve taken care of a lot of the responsibilities that would normally be my mom’s, but she couldn’t do, especially taking care of my sister. Everything in our world changed within days. I went from being a 13-year-old to a responsible older sister. I had to learn how to take care of my sister and do house chores and everything while my parents worried about my mom and her health. Since we were young, my parents didn’t tell us everything, we just knew the generals, like when she was having surgery or chemo or whatever… To be honest, I was scared and I didn’t want to know more. We kept growing up and I kept taking care of my sister, and became more of a mother figure when necessary. I attended the parent/teacher conferences and all the meetings from her sports team, and I took her wherever she needed. Now I’m almost 20 and she’s 18. She goes to college now, and she’s grown more independent, but I keep trying to make sure she’s okay and stuff… how can I stop feeling so responsible for her?

Hi musicgirl –

Okay, before I say anything else, may I please bow down to you, in humble awe at what you’ve done.  Diseases are unfair anyway, but this one has not only robbed your mother of the life she planned, but took lots of your time as a teenager too.  I respect your responsibility, your honor, and your deep care for your sister enormously.

But your question points out a problem: you got so good at being such a great caretaker that you don’t know how to Continue reading

0 How to handle the death of a loved one

daisymimi22 asks: My grandma had died yesterday. I am really sad about it, and think of her all the time. Can you please tell me how to turn back to life and be normal?

Hi daisymimi22 –

I’m awfully sorry to hear about your grandmother.  I know what it’s like to lose someone I dearly love, and it’s a devastating feeling.  When we dogs feel that way, we do something I think people should do more often – we howl.  We go outside and look up at the sky (especially if there’s a moon) and yell out a plaintive cry from the bottom of our soul.  It’s the saddest, loneliest sound in the world.  Which means that everyone who hears it instantly feels a part of the deep sadness and loss we’re feeling.  And that helps.  It really does.  Their feeling some of our sadness makes us feel a little less alone.

You might not like the answer I’m going to give to your question, daisymimi22, but here it is:  Why would you want to be Continue reading

3 How to get people to hire you for odd jobs

curiouscutie123 asks: I’m a teenager and want to earn money, but my country doesn’t allow people my age to have jobs, and I don’t know how to reach people who would hire a teen to babysit their children, or mow their lawn, or any other work. How can I find such people?

Hi curiouscutie123 –

The answer to your question is one word, and it’s a word that will probably mean more and more to you as you get older.  The word is “Marketing.”

Why have you ever heard of Coca Cola, and why do I know you have?  Because of marketing.  Why am I pretty sure that you know “Iron Man 3” is out?  Because of marketing.  And why in the world have you heard of a dog on the other side of the world from you, who is happy to offer suggestions to help out your life?  You got it, marketing.

Marketing is simply the first step in getting someone to know about, and hopefully be interested in, what you’re Continue reading

0 How to grow and take care of long hair

lovedino123lady asks: I am 13 years old, and have wavy curly hair. Can you give me advice on taking care of it?I am reaching for waist length. I would like to know how to grow it super long and fast.

Hi lovedino123lady –

Wow, we are so opposite!  I have straight hair that only grows to about an inch and a half (3 cms) at most.  So this is something I know almost nothing about!

I found what seem to be some good Continue reading

0 How to prepare for final exams

pumpkin asks: I have my board exams soon and I’m not prepared for them at all. Please give me any ideas how I should manage my syllabus so I can have it done on time.

Hi pumpkin –

To be able to tell you exactly what to study when would require a lot more knowledge than I have – both about your courses and about you.  But I can throw a few recommendations your way.

Let’s assume you have exactly four weeks to prepare for the start of six exams.  And then they will stretch out over three weeks.

First of all, spend the next three weeks working very hard, maybe as hard as you’ve ever worked, to create study lists for every class you have.  In other words, I want you to put all the time you need into making sure that you’ve read all the material, that you’ve worked to understand anything you didn’t grasp (which might include asking questions of other students or teachers), and that you’ve written out everything you’ll need to know for the tests.

Did you note that I said, “written out?”  That’s not the same thing as Continue reading

0 Is it wrong for pre-teens to have sleepovers with friends of the opposite sex?

Chickenwing asks: When I was younger, I had a sleepover with my 3 best friends. I liked the idea of that, but now I have moved somewhere else. I asked to have a sleepover with my 3 best friends, but (I never thought of this!) my 3rd best friend is a girl! My mom will probably say no, but I don’t get what’s so wrong. We won’t do anything sexual because we’re all 10 years old. I have a bunk bed, a guest room, and a couch that turns into a bed. We could all sleep in different places. Please help – I really want the sleepover!

Hi Chickenwing –

My friend, you are dealing with something you’re going to face for the rest of your life – and especially in the next twelve years or so – called pre-judgment.  I won’t use the word “prejudice,” because that word has other connotations, but I mean the same thing.  I completely believe you that you, your two male friends, and your female friend, could have a really fun night together hanging out, and that you aren’t thinking about any hanky-panky in the least!

But that might not Continue reading

0 What to do if someone gets a crush on you

789decision789 asks: What do you do as a teenage facilitator, when your student is madly in love with you?

Hi 789decision789 –

I’m going to assume that the student you describe is younger than you.  My answer would be the same even if they weren’t, but it sure makes it easier if they are.

Given that I am about as adorable a dog as has ever sniffed a tree, I face this problem all the time.  And while it’s nice to be lovable to the world, and it’s great to be really attractive to someone you’re interested in, it really puts you in a tough position when someone you don’t want any romance with (or legally/morally can’t have one with!) lets you know they’re completely smitten with you.

But the reason it’s tough is that you don’t want to Continue reading

0 Is it wrong to be a “goody-goody” at school?

adriannaar asks: My friends are calling me a goody-goody and a teacher’s pet, just because I respect the teachers and help them and the office staff out. What should I do?

Hi adriannaar –

You know, we dogs get this all the time.  Other animals, whether the nobly independent wolves we’re descended from, or the snooty cats we like to chase, love to get on our cases.  “You do whatever your humans tell you!  You have no self-respect at all!  You hunt, pull sleds, find drugs, chase bad guys and foxes, protect homes, and then jump on your enslavers and give them kisses all the time!  You make us Continue reading

0 What to do with friends who reject you, and then want to be friends again?

adriannaar asks: What should I do if this girl in my class is always mean to me, then nice, then mean, then nice again?! The girl I had the problem with sent me an email saying goodbye, and so I told her goodbye, that I do not want her problems, and angrily said if she were to reply I would block her and she never replied. Then we were talking on the Internet and she said she wants us to be good friends! She is just confusing me – she says goodbye then hello!

Hi adriannar –

As I love to point out, I don’t know much of anything about my pack friends.  I don’t know your real names, I don’t know where you live, I don’t know your ages… and I don’t know if you’re male or female!  If I could sniff you I’d know all these things at once (dogs’ noses are phenomenal!), but over the Internet, I can’t tell anything!

So I might be barking up the wrong tree, as the saying goes.  But one reason why people sometimes behave in this nice/mean/nice/mean way is that they’ve got a Continue reading

0 How to clean the environment

FAHAD asks: How can we clean up the environment?

Hi FAHAD –

Your question is very broad, you know!  When someone says “the environment,” they really mean the area around them, wherever they are.  My environment might be the forest around my doghouse, or the floor of Handsome’s living room.  Right now yours might be your bedroom, or a library, or a classroom.  And how you clean up any one of those is very different.

For example, in the forest, “cleaning up” usually means people cleaning up after themselves, so it’s the same as before they got there (so picking up any trash, etc.).  But in Handsome’s living room, “cleaning up” is much more detailed – it’s about vacuuming, dusting, wiping… making the whole place clean enough for a King and Queen to eat off the floor (which is silly, since I’m the only one who ever Continue reading