Category Archives for "Questions"

0 What to do when you want both to get away and to stay home

Wooff asks: I am 15. Recently I have had this feeling of having a fresh start in my life. I have a great life. I am a good student, a good person and I have friends. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me. But I just want to go away to some place else where nobody absolutely knows me. So I can reinvent myself. I always wanted to stay in one place and now that I have, I just want to leave. And I’m trying to disconnect with my friends, especially my best friends. I always try to be positive about everything, but there’s always this new start thing with me. My family used to move a lot and I wasn’t a big fan of that, but now we don’t. I feel like I’m lost. I haven’t told anyone about this, not even my best friends. I have googled about this matter but there is no answer to this. I know I’m not the only person who is going through this but I don’t know what to do. I laugh a lot and have fun but yet I have this feeling of being lost. And I sleep a lot. What should I do about this matter?

Hi Wooff –

I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that what you’re experiencing is normal and universal. The bad news is that what you’re experiencing is… normal and universal!

Fifteen is a tough age for everyone. Every human that age feels that mixture of excitement and lostness. Every person feels the need to be able to count on the things they need, and at the same time, the need to be free and run away and embrace the world. There is nothing wrong with you at all. But there’s also no perfect solution to the enormous frustration you’re experiencing!

Some might tell you this is a recent phenomenon. Well, if so, I guess they’ve never seen or read Continue reading

0 How to find out how someone feels about you if you only chat online

Wolfy asks: This boy and I have known each other for the past three years. We have been video chatting every day since before summer started, and in that time I have grown to like him. Like, like liking him, but I think he likes me too. He is funny and nice and I can always count on him. I like watching him play this game/ website (he can show me his screen on video chat) and if I suggest it no matter what he is doing (whether he is playing minecraft or pokemon or whatever) he will “get bored” with what he is playing right then and play that game. My computer automatically shows me as available and on that second it comes on he messages me. EVERY DAY WE VIDEO CHAT! He is on online school now, and when I was sick at home he messaged me while he was working. He also helped me through a tough time when my brother got something I should have had. Nothing is wrong when I talk to him – but when I think about the fact that I like him I can’t talk (and I can talk a person to death, my mother says!). I told my friend about it, and she told him, right when he and I were video chatting at that point and he was sharing screens – and they said: She: Wolfy likes you. You should ask her out. He: No thanx. She: she thinks you’re funny. He: No. She : She thinks you are hot. (That last line I never told her by the way but she is known to prank us with relationships so he may not believe – plus I did not back it up and said that is not right) What’s your advice?

Hi Wolfy –

So this seems to be the same sort of question I get a lot, of the “I’m shy, so how can I tell if he likes me” flavor. But with a twist – your contact is all on video chat!

But really, it’s all the same issues as usual. We’re dealing with two problems: first, that you get so nervous about liking him that you can’t talk (which I have to say, even from a dog’s point of view, is really cute and adorable!). And second, that we don’t have any idea what he’s feeling.

Could it be that he just isn’t into girls yet (or just isn’t ever going to be)?

Could it be that he sees you only as a friend, and doesn’t want to change that?

Could it be that he’s interested in another girl?

And could it be that he does like you the way you like him, but doesn’t Continue reading

0 How to make friends after you’ve given up

arjai101 asks: I just moved back to America two months ago. And, I’m having a really hard time. I miss my friends, and I’m okay with that. However, everyday I grow more and more lonely and it is just the most awful feeling. I hate my school, and the teachers don’t want to be bothered with me. No matter how hard I try to make friends and reach out to people, people just push me away. I’ve tried everything. I have joined clubs and I even have tried with some of the people at my church (Which is desperate because I hate going to church). I spend most of my time by myself and this is beginning to change me. I hardly talk anymore, and I’m usually a very outgoing person. I hate doing any of my hobbies, which is very bad since that’s usually what people do when they’re alone. I’m extremely frustrated with the situation and every time I think about it I want to cry. Believe me when I say I’ve tried everything. I have even seen a therapist TWICE. Nobody understands and they all blame it on me. They have no idea what I’ve tried and how it makes me feel. The therapist doesn’t give advice, all she does is analyze the situation. I need instructions. I can’t do this any longer. It’s affecting my attention span, I can’t read or write for more than a few sentences. It’s to the point where I have to go on a chat room anonymously and find people to talk to. (Except, they all want pictures and its rather disturbing.) In conclusion, I feel like there is no escape and the worst part about it is that IT’S MY LIFE NOW! I CANT ESCAPE IT! What’s wrong with me or them? What should I do?

Hi arjai101 –

What you’re going through sounds, regrettably, very normal. Most teens go through a time like this, where they feel alienated from everyone, and it’s devastatingly lonely. I have a few suggestions for you, but the most important one is to know that this WILL PASS. If you’ve ever had a dog, you’ll know that whenever our humans leave us at home alone, we’re miserable about it. We might freak out and tear stuff up, or we might just sit around glumly… but when the people come home, we’re overjoyed and go absolutely nuts over them. Well, just like us, when you’re in a mindset like this, it feels like it’ll last forever and there’s nothing you can do. So that’s why I say, again, trust that it WILL PASS. I just can’t say when, just as you can’t tell a dog exactly when their humans will come home. I just know it’ll happen.

But meanwhile… YUCCH!!! This just STINKS!! It’s very hard to move countries and start a new school. Handsome has a friend who did that when she was in third grade, and she was so outcast in her classroom that, on Valentine’s Day, when all the boys and girls gave all their classmates cards, she didn’t get a single one! (I do love kids, but sometimes they can be very short-sighted, or even mean, as I’m sure you know. The important part, though, is that before long, she made lots of friends and became very popular. It just took time.)

So what can you do? Well, reaching out to others is a great idea, even if it hasn’t worked yet. Some of those kids already have the friendships they want, and aren’t looking for other pals just now, so you need to keep trying till you find the other kids. They’re always there, just harder to find.

I find the best thing to do at a Continue reading

0 How to respond to insults from friends

four cats asks: Most of the time my friends tease me and joke me and I always go low on my personality; then actually they start to bite me! So can you please give me a way to put them down when they start to put me down?

Hi four cats –
Wow, I am used to people using verbal put-downs of their friends, and I’m used to us pups biting each other for fun, but I have never heard of anyone doing both!  Your friends must like you a lot!

You asked me for ways to put them down, and I’d be glad to help with that, but I’d have to know exactly what they were saying, so I could come up with funny responses.  But I think there’s a much bigger question: Do you want to have funny comebacks to these friends, or do you want them to leave you alone?

If it’s the latter, then your best response is to not let them see how their comments affect you, to just roll your eyes or say “wow that’s the best you got?” or something like that, and then walk away.  People who give put-downs, whether in affectionate fun or out of bullying meanness, do so to feel powerful and good about themselves.  So if you act in a way that they can’t get that feeling, they’ll find someone else to pick on.

But if you are asking how to keep them as friends but just get better at comebacks, I do have one really odd Continue reading

0 How to get someone who likes you to ask you out

Mandhie asks: Recently, this guy and I had been chatting on whatsapp and he asked me a question that made me feel uncomfortable. We had a conversation one day and I was like “I miss you” playfully, and he replied “lol… really?” which made me feel like I was pushing him to say he misses me too. So I sent a sad emoticon and he asked “r u sad?” I replied… “of course. I am saying I miss you and you asked am I sure?” And then he sent the love emoticon and wrote, “Okay I love you and I miss you too” and our chat continued. Then, recently, I had a message from him, asking me, “What do you feel about the ‘I love you’ I sent?” I replied to him, “You were saying it on friendly terms.” (Shirelle, remember, he is not my boyfriend yet so we are taking our time to get closer. I didn’t want him to feel I took the “I love you” personally, which was the reason I told him it was said on friendly terms.) So now, here is my question… the way we are now, I won’t be surprised if, in the next two years, we go out. We have grown so close, and the teasing from our families and friends has been increasing. If the “I love you” wasn’t just on friendly terms to make me feel happy when I told him I was sad, why is he taking too long to ask me out? Because I really feel this time he likes me. Oh, and his best friend told me, “he likes you more than you like him… trust me.” So you see, please, I really need to know! What is keeping him from asking me out? 🙁

Hi Mandhie –

I’m a little confused here.  On one hand, you’re telling me that, if things keep going the way they are, you and he will be going out in two years.  Then you ask why he’s taking so long to ask you out.  In fact, it’s pretty clear his not asking you out is driving you nuts!

It sounds to me like you’re dealing with a boy who’s not quite as ready as you.  That doesn’t mean he’s not interested; it just means he’s not ready for the risk.

Which brings up the question: What Risks?!  Well, I don’t know the boy at all, but I can imagine a few.  For example:

–       What if you say no?  You’re saying you miss him, but that’s not the same as going out.

–       What if there’s some pressure on him not to date too young?

–       What if he doesn’t have the money to take you out?

–       What if he’s not sure what he’d do with you if you went on a date?  Especially with all the stuff everyone’s saying to you two, he might feel very pressured to do something with you, and report it back to them.

–       And speaking of that pressure, what if all those teasing comments make him feel like he’s being pushed into taking you out?  You two are at the age where it’s very normal to want very badly to define yourself, and not be the way others want you to be (as was normal when you were younger children).  Maybe he wants to make sure that what happens between the two of you is yours alone, and not just fitting in with what others think should be.

Now again, I don’t know the boy.  But you do.

So is there something you could do to Continue reading

0 Is it better to take risks or not?

Wolfy asks: My friend wants to find me a boyfriend. Honestly I didn’t think she could, but she thinks she has found the perfect guy for me. So I made her a deal: if she can get this guy to ask me out, I will go out with him. BIGGEST RISK OF MY LIFE (so far of course). I feel like those 30 long seconds of making the deal totally changed my life. Have you ever gotten the feeling that something bad or something good will happen to you because of something you did or will do? That’s how I feel. I was sitting right next to her when she tried to tell him that “someone” might like him. He now knows is that this person is in our reading class, so all the girls in the class are “suspects.” He also knows her general looks – all hints to me! He will know it is me by the end of next week. There is one choice I am trying to make – should I let it happen or tell him it is me and no matter what say no to going on a date? Fate, life, the future – the three most unknown, bad, fantastic things all at once. Funny uh!

Hi Wolfy –

I absolutely love this! It sounds exciting and risky (in the best sense), and that you’re pushing yourself forward into an area that is far from comfortable for you.

You asked, “Have you ever gotten the feeling that something bad or something good will happen to you because of something you did or will do?” Oh Wolfy, to me that’s called being Alive!

Look at it this way. Handsome is eating a piece of pizza. Now I could just decide I’m not going to get any, and go outside and sniff around to see what’s happened today. Or I could walk up to him and give him the big round eyes and whine and let him know how much I’d like him to share that yummy treat with me. Now if he gets annoyed and says “no,” and tells me to stop begging, I’m going to feel bad – worse than I would by just going outside. But if he says “sure, here,” I’m going to feel loved and cared for… and happy with how good that pizza tastes! So should I take the risk, or just go outside?

Wolfy, my answer is almost always to Continue reading

0 How to deal with being judged

Jewels asks: It must be hard to be a young man these days. There’s so much expected of a man…he’s supposed to be smart, capable, competent, tough, able to fix anything, successful, wealthy. But also sensitive, open, flexible, funny, warm, thoroughly honest, great at romance, overtly complimentary, patient. Perhaps it’s the exposure we have all had to zillions of characters we’ve all seen portrayed on camera, or perhaps it’s our conditioning through our fast food, order-it-up society, but so many a single woman today has the expectation that her man will indeed have all of these qualities, and anything less would be settling. So, my question is, how should a man deal with these expectations?

Hi Jewels –

You are RIGHT! It’s very tough to be a young man right now. But you know who else has a hard run these days? Children are supposed to do so much more homework than their parents did, and stay connected with what’s going on in social media, and get perfect grades in elementary school to get them into the right universities. Teenagers are tested and graded constantly, and looked down on any time they’re ever not good at any particular thing.

And young women today? Oh my floppy-eared head just swims! They’re expected to be perfect ladies, and tough as nails, and have great boundaries, and be open for everything, and submissive and aggressive, and have perfect skin and teeth and abs and hair and overall shape (whatever that is). It’s just impossible for everyone!

You know, the whole thing with expectations has been goofy for centuries, but it used to be us pooches who had all the trouble. “Hmmm… this Dachshund has good legs but its tail isn’t the right length…” “I’m not sure I like the way this Poodle’s ribcage hangs…” It’s been a load of nonsense on us, but it’s even crazier that you humans are now doing it to YOURSELVES!

You see, it’s like another letter I got today, about perfectionism in grades. This mindset just gets in people’s ways! If you use a checklist when you look at a person, you’ll never see their true qualities, and you’ll certainly never be able to truly love them, or be loved by them.

I’m not saying everyone shouldn’t be looking for what really matters to them. Of course they should. If a woman wants a man who can fix anything in the house, there are lots of guys out there for her. But if she also insists he’s a billionaire, the odds get a lot worse (billionaires tend to hire people to do their home repair for them, so they never learn the skills). If she wants a guy who’s super-nice and caring, I think that’s smart. But if she also wants a bad boy who’s dangerous and excitingly cruel, these qualities just don’t match!

In fact, Jewels, your question makes me realize… it’s worse than I was thinking! You see, no one looks at a German Shepherd expecting it to be small enough to sit on their lap all day, or buys a Corgi to pull a sled through tundra. So you people are actually worse to each other than you’ve been to dogs! This is CRAZY!

So here’s my solution. When anyone starts to complain about the qualities you lack, ask yourself two Continue reading

0 How to deal with perfectionism

arjai101 asks: I’m a perfectionist, but only about one thing: my grades. I feel like my grades are all I have and all I’m good at. People don’t know me for being pretty or nice. They know me for picking things up fast and always knowing something about a subject. As a result, I constantly have this pressure of feeling like I have to be perfect. If I get so much as less than 100%, I tear myself to pieces. It’s an awful feeling. At the same time, I like getting perfect scores. I especially like getting them without trying – it makes me feel good about myself and it makes me feel special. I hate getting grades that are just a 96% or a 99%. It really hurts me, like my whole world is falling apart. And when I express this sensation to my parents or my friends, they tell me I’m being selfish and arrogant, and that I’m overreacting. I can’t help that it bothers me so much. I can’t help that I hate my being in those moments. What’s wrong with me? How can I deal with this?

Hi arjai101 –

Perfectionism is a funny thing.  On one hand, of course it feels best to do something perfectly.  If I chase a squirrel, I want to catch it, not ‘come close.’  If Handsome offers me a treat, I want to eat the whole thing, not part of it.

But perfectionism can be a problem too.  We can get so focused on needing a perfect result that we lose the ability to enjoy what we are accomplishing.

Like with your schoolwork – although it often doesn’t look it, the reason to go to school is to learn things.  And if you get a 96% on a test, then it looks like you’ve learned a lot.  (And we all know, it’s possible to get a 100% on a test while you still have a lot to learn!)

So why the perfectionism?

Well, I’d argue two things.  One is great, and the other… not so great.

The great one is that you’re surrounded by people who are satisfied with mediocrity, and you don’t want to be that way.  You are a superb student, and enjoy the game of succeeding at it.  It’s fun to be the best at something, and it’s fun to challenge yourself to be your best, or even better.  That sort of perfectionism is what leads people to be great artists, thinkers, athletes… all that.

The not so great one is just what you said, “I feel like my grades are all I have and all I’m good at.”  Because of this, if you make less than a great grade, you’re seeing yourself as less than a great person!  If others only see you as smart, then they’ll see you as nothing if you don’t get the great grades (or at least that’s the way you’re imagining them).

The problem with this is that.  arjai101, here’s my bad news:  Continue reading

0 What to do with a new stepfamily

prettyndsweet12 asks: My dad is getting married which means I’ll have lots of new family members; a stepmom, two stepbrothers, a stepsister, and a step-niece, which brings up a question: I’ve never had a stepmom or step siblings before; do you have any tips or advice on that? But my number one question is what do I call her???

Hi prettyndsweet12 –

There are no rules about stepfamilies.  It sounds like you have a great attitude about them (curiosity and excitement, rather than dread and plans-to-dislike).  So my main suggestion would be to hold onto that attitude, and give them all a chance.  You’ll like some more than others, and that’s fine.

You might also find that one or more of your new stepsiblings (or your step-niece) has absolutely no interest in becoming friends with you.  For those, just give them time.

I can’t tell you how many friends and girlfriends Handsome has brought into my life, many of whom were bothered by me or just wanted nothing to do with me at first.  But over time, almost all of them have fallen in love with me, just because I’ve stayed good-natured and friendly with them throughout.  And those few others who just could never get to liking me, I’ve just accepted that that’s their problem; they still tolerate me, so Handsome can still be friendly with them.  They’ll just never get to know how fun and wonderful I can be, which is sad for them.

If you have that experience with any of these new family members, then I’d say the same thing – too bad for them.  Suckers!

Now, though, when it comes to your stepmother, that’s a very interesting Continue reading

0 Should a girl do what her boyfriend wants because he treats her well?

Bethan asks: I am 17 years old. My past relationships have not been the best, but my current relationship is different. I met this guy online; when I met him he was different (he had different pictures on his profile, even a different name) but I still gave him a chance. When we started dating, it was great. He would buy me gifts, treat me well, tell me he loved me, etc. Then things changed, and it became different. He still told me he loved me, etc., but he would make me do things that didn’t seem right, and I didn’t want to do them, but I feel guilty as he is lovely. He buys me gifts, etc., but it doesn’t feel right.

Hi Bethan –

Of course, I don’t know the guy you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about him, except what you’ve told me here. And he might be as great, as lovely, as you describe.

But I have a problem with him.

Now it’s totally normal for a person to try to woo another with gifts and favors. There’s nothing wrong with that – hey Handsome used a lot of treats when he was training me!

But the best thing a man can do for a woman is to keep her safe, and keep her feeling safe, all the time. Especially when they’re together. And this guy is doing the opposite.

It’s interesting that the two most popular book series in the last few years have been romances dealing with women falling in love with very dangerous men. You probably know about them – in one case she falls in love with a vampire, and in the other, it’s with a man who likes romance that includes causing each other physical pain. But both these men care a lot about the woman in their story. And both make very sure that she doesn’t do anything (like turn into a vampire or engage in painful romance) unless and until she truly wants to.

Both those guys – the blood-drinker and the spanker – treat their woman with more respect than this guy is treating you.

It’s also very normal for guys to want to do more things than their girlfriends do. What matters is that, the next day, the girlfriend still feels safe, and good about herself, after whatever they’ve done. And you don’t.

You don’t like the things you’ve done, and you don’t feel trust that he won’t push you to do things you don’t like again.

So Bethan, my advice is for you to Continue reading