Category Archives for "Life Skills"

1 How to get rid of blackheads

mallory123 asks: How do you get rid of blackheads overnight?

Hi Mallory123 –

Well I have to admit, this question is outside my usual expertise.  Dogs don’t really get blackheads, and even if we did, they’d be covered up by our fur so no one would be bothered by them.

So I’ve done a bit of research on the subject.  And I learned a lot!  For example, I’ve always assumed that blackheads were mainly dirt that had lodged in the pores in people’s faces.  But they’re not.  Most adolescent skin problems stem from the person’s body producing excess Continue reading

0 What does it mean when you start to split off from your friends?

laury98 asks: I hang out with guys now that the girls are being annoying and boring. But now the girls are calling me bad names. What should I do, because those aren’t my intentions; my intentions are to have a conversation with someone who won’t whine like a baby! What should I say to them?

Hi laury98 –

What’s great about where you are is that you’re starting to define the boundaries of your own environment.  I know that sounds awfully big and serious, but…  actually, it is!

You see, when we’re born, we begin to adjust to the world we find ourselves in.  We learn the language, we learn what the people around us like and how to please them, and we learn to get along with those like us.  Then later it’s absolutely essential that we start defining ourselves in ways separate from those others.   That can appear when teenagers start listening to music that their parents can’t Continue reading

0 How to prepare to study overseas

Pragya asks: I am studying in high school right now. After completion of my high school, I will have to go abroad for my further studies. Till now, I have been living with my parents and I think I really don’t have many responsibilities to fulfill. Even though I have grown, I am still dependent on my parents, and so I feel my behaviors are too childish and I lack confidence. I am seeking some ideas for changing myself into a mature and independent girl, in order to go through my upcoming strange days in a completely strange country. Can you give some ideas?

Hi Pragya –

How exciting!  This is a tremendous chance for you, something very few people get to experience.  And my greatest wish for you is that you are able to embrace and absorb all the treasures an overseas education has to offer!

So do I have any ideas for you?  I mainly have one:  Pragya, give yourself a break!  You are so self-critical!  There’s nothing wrong with living with your Continue reading

0 What to do when your parents prefer a sibling to you

Bella asks: What I’m going to say might sound stupid, but I have a strong feeling that my parents prefer my sister over me. Not that they hate me, but the way they act with her is completely different from the way they act with me. One day we are on good terms, but then a week later they are ignoring me! Any advice on what I should do???

Hi Bella –

It’s hard to talk about this issue, I know.  Parents always want to believe that they treat (and love) all their children the same, but of course at different times, they’re going to “miss the target” on that.  Some parents can’t help but prefer the kid who’s best-behaved, while others just feel more fondness for the one who’s the more troublesome!  And the affection might switch over time.

Meanwhile, it’s absolutely normal for their kids to want, and even demand, equality.  When kids are very young, they simply want everything Mom and Dad can offer at all times; then they are taught to share and act with fairness, so they expect to be treated Continue reading

1 How to deal with loneliness

megane2 asks: What do you do when you have no one to talk to? When the only person who understands you is not with you and you’re not able to reach that person… When you have so much to say and to talk about but you feel totally alone? What should I do?

Hi Megane2 –

This is such a sad question.  Of course, I relate so well to it too.  Handsome leaves me at home alone nearly every day, and my heart just cries.  I like to spend time by myself, but that’s very different from being left alone.  Having no one to talk to, or play with, or just to pat my head, when I need it – that’s so lonely and painful.  I just hate it.  And I can tell you do too.

Here are ten ideas for things that you can do, though, when this happens.   Some of them are things I can’t do, so you’re luckier than me.  But all can be helpful, I promise.

1)    Write a journal.  One person you can always talk to is yourself!  Write out your feelings in a journal or diary.  And lots of times, you’ll find that the actual act of writing can help you work out some problems, just like telling a Continue reading

2 Should I try to take a boy away from his girlfriend?

Bella asks: Hi, I am in love with a guy, but he has a girlfriend. They have been going out for almost 4 years now. I’ve tried forgetting about him, but I can’t! They are thinking of getting engaged by the end of the year. The worst part is that she is one of my friends. What should I do????

Hi Bella –

There are some decisions in life where it’s clear that we should do what we want.  Then there are those where it’s kind of confusing.  And then there are those where it’s clear that we should give up.

For example, let’s talk about lamb roast.  Now I loooooooove lamb roast!  If Handsome is cooking one, I can smell it even before he starts the oven.  And then once the cooking starts, ooooooohhhhhhhhhh that aroma!  Luscious!

So let’s say that Handsome has roasted up a beautiful leg of lamb, and while he starts to carve it up for his guests, he hands me a beautiful juicy piece.  Should I take it?  Of course I should, are you nuts?!  I take it and then sit very politely on the floor, with perfect posture and my mouth just non-stop salivating and licking, and hoping for more.

But what if, say, Handsome accidentally drops a piece of that yummy Continue reading

1 How to make life interesting and fun

choco asks: How can I make my life interesting? Are there some tricks to make fun in life??

Hi Choco –

This is probably my favorite question anyone’s ever asked me, because this is what I’m best at.  You see, we dogs always can find something interesting and fun, unless someone’s literally put us in a tiny cage.  And you humans have every bit of what we have in our brains, and a lot more.  So why is it that you often can’t come up with something, when we always can?  It’s because of that extra brain you have!  You’re so much more judgmental and worried and self-conscious and all that, which all gets in the way of life!  (Now please realize, I also know that that extra brain does a lot of good; Overall it tends to be better.  I’m not putting you down here, just pointing out how it can be a problem!).

So what you need to do is get all that nonsense out of the way, and find your own Continue reading

0 How to get your parents to speak to you again.

Bella asks: Hi, my parents aren’t on speaking terms with me, and tomorrow is my birthday. What should I do? I tried talking to my mum but she refused to listen. I feel so bad!!!

Oh Bella!  I’m so sorry I didn’t get to your letter in time for your birthday!  I can’t imagine how you must have felt the whole day, and I wish I could have sent you some kisses and tug-of-war playing to cheer you up!  I know it’s late but… Happy Birthday!

And I’m not kidding when I say those two words.  You see, any day can be your birthday.  We can all be “born again” any time we choose to be.  Some people get that in a religion, others get it in a beauty salon with a “makeover,” some through moving their homes.  And you can have a new “birth” in whatever way you want.  The trick – and the hard part – is deciding what exactly it is that you Continue reading

0 How to pick a college or university.

teejay 96 asks: Hi, I am writing from Africa. I am in my last year of high school and I do not know what college I am going to attend. I’m still trying to pick between Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and Europe. How do you suggest I compare my choice universities in these areas so as to pick the right college for me?

Hi teejay 96 –

What a coooool situation to be in!  No matter which of those places you choose, you’re going to have an amazing experience that will change your life and grow you in ways you can’t imagine!

Now as a dog, and a dog who lives in one country you aren’t even looking at (and has never been to any of those places), I can’t offer ANY opinion on where you should go!  It sounds like you’ve already looked into the quality of the colleges, so what you’re going to make your decision on is something else.

So I have two thoughts.  First, what sort of Continue reading

0 How to handle children going through bad phases

vanshica asks: Hi! My son is 8 yrs old in III std. For the last month he has been very naughty. He does not obey his teachers, in class he doesn’t complete his work, and disturbs class every now and then. He was not like this before. I am very tense and worried. Please help me out.

Hi vanshica –

Okay, I’ve got two things for you here.  First, every child goes through phases.  And it’s possible that he’s just simply doing that – going through a strange period where he’s misbehaving and pushing boundaries all the time, and he’ll move past it soon and be the great kid he was (just like… remember when he was two?!).

But then there’s another thought.  It sounds like it could be that he’s acting out because of something truly Continue reading