Category Archives for "Questions"

0 How to create an inspirational book

Christel asks: Hi! Our project is to make an inspirational book about family problems, love problems, friend problems, etc. that must include an advice for each of them. But I’m not a writer. I don’t know how to start a book, specifically, an inspirational book. I don’t even know what to write. Please help me.

Hi Christel –

I would like to create some books someday, but as of now, I haven’t ever done one.  So truly, if you look at my website, you’re seeing all I know about it!

Now I’m guessing that your assignment isn’t to publish a book (which is extremely difficult, especially these days), but rather to just create one.  There are lots of ways to do that, from old-school methods like stapling pages together or putting it all in a binder, to newer methods where the book is professionally bound.

But if you’re asking about how to Continue reading

0 What to do if a friend asks you out when you want to date someone else?

sazuna45 asks: My friend A told me she likes one of my other friends, B. They keep on flirting with each other, I think they’re inches away from dating. Meanwhile, one of our besties, C, asks her out! And A doesn’t know what to do. She can’t say ‘yes’ cause she likes B, and if she says ‘no’ then their friendship is going to turn awkward, because they’re really close. What should she do???

Hi sazuna45 –

Wow, you do come up with the most amazing situations!  You’re such a good writer, I wonder if you’ll find a way someday to put these adventures of your friends and you into a novel, a play, or a screenplay!

But in the meantime, again, you’re being a great friend.

Okay, so A is in a serious quandary!  She likes this B, who clearly likes her back, but there’s C asking her out.  I’d say there are two ways she can go.

The first is to be completely open with Continue reading

0 What to give as a gift when you have no money

kavin24 asks: Our mum’s b’day is coming up. My younger brother (7) and I (12) don’t have any money with us, and even if we had any we couldn’t go to a shop as our mum always comes with us (our dad works abroad). Can you suggest some things to surprise her?

Hi kavin24 –

I love this question.  Because it brings up a really important topic.  You see, our world today largely relies on economics, which means people buying and selling things.  And in order to keep economies going, people are taught (by other people, by economists, and especially by advertising) that they want to buy and buy and buy, and that their value is determined by what they buy.  So here’s your mum’s birthday, and you can’t buy her anything, and you’re totally Continue reading

0 How to get your parents to do something they don’t want to do

Nardy Asks: I am A Huge Fan Of Justin Bieber, and I want to go to his tour, which is two hours away by car. But my Mom & Dad don’t want to go, they don’t like Justin!! But that’s my dream to go there. What can I do?

Hi Nardy –

Okay, this is one of those times in life when you begin to learn major adult skills.  It’s like with me — when I was a puppy, I could get pretty much anything I wanted from Handsome, just by giving him big eyes and a happy, wishful face.  But after I grew up, it got a bit harder.  And if there was something I wanted reeeeeeeally badly, I needed to figure out exactly how to go about getting it.  Play too puppyish, he’d think there’s something wrong with me.  Be super-nice, he’d just think I’m feeling very loving that day.  Be aggressive and demanding, and he might refuse to reward that behavior by giving it to me.  So I had to learn to think, really hard, about how to (and here’s the most important line in the letter) get him to Continue reading

0 What to do for a science project

wish_ROX asks: What should I make for my science project?

Hi wish_ROX –

I have a simple answer for you, though you might not like it.  It’s “Whatever You Want!”

But I’m not saying that to be bratty, wish_ROX.  What I mean is that, if you’re going to devote a lot of effort to a project, it should be about something you find interesting.  If you’re super-interested in animals, and find machines a little boring, then you shouldn’t be trying to build an engine.  And if you’re obsessed with powerful things that make bright lights and noise, you shouldn’t be bothering with breeding mice.

What really excites you, wish_ROX?  Think back over the last Continue reading

0 Should teenagers answer online surveys?

kavin24 asks: I’m 14. I want to earn money. I’d prefer to make money online. Is it a good idea to use a paid survey?

Hi kavin24 –

I have to be honest with you; I really don’t know much about these surveys.  But I’m a huge fan of kids finding ways to earn money.  As long as two things are true – that what they’re doing is legal, and that it’s safe.

I’m a very protective mutt, and if there were a way for me to sit with you and look at each of these surveys, I’d be very happy to do it.  But of course I can’t.  And one thing about being 14 is that, no matter how smart, even brilliant, you might be, there’s stuff about life you just Continue reading

0 How to keep information in your memory for a test

daisymimi22 asks: I learn things before I take tests, but when I am writing on my test sheet, I forget everything. What should I do?

Hi daisymimi22 –

I sure do relate.  When I was getting trained, I would learn all the things I was supposed to do – “Come,” “Sit,” “Stay,” “Heel,” and such – and really have them down.  Then Handsome would take me in front of some friends of his and say, “Shirelle’s so smart!  Let me show you!  Okay, girl, Sit.”  And I’d have absolutely no idea what he was talking about!

How wildly irritating!  He’d be embarrassed, I’d feel dumb, and his friends would be condescending, like “Well she’s a cute puppy anyway, that’s enough.”  Oh how awful that felt!

So here’s the problem I had, which I imagine you’re also having.  Brains (both dog and human sorts) have sections that store different sorts of Continue reading

0 What are good poems for children?

moavia asks: I want to see poems for kids.

Hi moavia –

Oh there are SOOOO many poems for kids out there!  Here are a few to start with.  None are new or rare, but once you’ve started with these, you’ll be set to discover many new magical ones!

“Mother Goose” – of course the most famous collection of children’s poetry ever.  There’s nothing I can say about it that hasn’t been said a zillion times over.

“A Child’s Garden of Verses” by Robert Louis Stevenson – Pretty old stuff now (19^th century), but Continue reading

0 What is the meaning of behavior?

Home asks: What is meaning of behavior?

Hi Home –

I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking.  If you’re asking for the actual definition of the word, an online dictionary says it’s “a manner of behaving or acting, or observable activity in a human or animal.”  In other words, I guess it’s anything anyone does.

But you might be asking what one’s behavior means.  Now that’s a HUGE Continue reading

0 Who to ask for help in school performance

ian asks: Who can help students throughout their problems in their school performance?

Hi ian –

There are almost an endless number of folks who intend to help students with their problems.  The tough question for students is who to choose to ask for that help.

For example, many schools offer Continue reading