Category Archives for "Teens"

0 How to overcome feeling isolated

dramatherapy asks: How can I overcome feeling isolated?

Hi dramatherapy –

Hey I love your name!  My friend Handsome studied Dramatherapy, and is a huge fan of it.  For those who don’t know, that’s a form of psychotherapy where, instead of just talking about things, the therapist and clients do lots of activities.  Maybe they’ll write poems, or play with puppets or musical instruments, or draw pictures, or even act out roles – all in special ways that help the clients grow through stuff.  If I were a therapist, I’d definitely be a Dramatherapist – if only because I can’t stand sitting still for long!!!

So, given that you chose that Pack name, I’m kind of surprised at your question.  Because, you see, I think your name IS the answer to it!

It’s terrible to actually be isolated.  When I’ve had to stay at the veterinarians’ office overnight, and I’m locked in a little cage all alone, I’m just miserable.  I know Handsome’s coming back to get me… but I don’t totally know it!  You know?  I mean… he does love me, right?  And he isn’t really mad at me about that thing he yelled about yesterday, is he?  The thing I couldn’t figure out?  And he’s going to be okay?  I mean, he’s not hurt or something and so can never get back to get me, is he??!

Now that’s real isolation.  But I’m assuming that you’re not locked in a Continue reading

0 How to get parents to stop complaining about your room

Resistance asks: How can we make our parent stop grumbling at us about our habitat?

Hi Resistance –

If I understand correctly, you’re asking how to get your parents off your case about your home, and especially your room.  Probably a mix between your decorating choices and your cleanliness habits.

Well, Resistance, you’re going to hate my first answer.  The way to get your parents to stop grumbling is probably to clean up after yourself.  All the time.  Yes, I mean taking your dishes to the kitchen when you’re done with them, and washing them (or at least putting them in the dishwasher).  And picking up your clothes and everything else before you leave every day.  And making your bed.  Yes, I mean all that boring irritating junk they incessantly complain about.  That’s the way to get them off your case.

At least, about the cleaning part.  But if they’re really griping a lot about the stuff you put on your Continue reading

0 Why is math so difficult?

queeny nik asks: Why is it difficult for me to learn maths at school?

Hi queeny nik –

Well, as you can probably guess, I’m not exactly a Calculus expert myself!  I see trained dogs who appear good at counting to four or so, but really, our brains just don’t go that way much.

And the truth is, not all human brains do, either.  The human brain is so complex that all sorts of specific talents show up in a million ways.  Mozart could never have invented the light bulb; Da Vinci didn’t figure out the printing press; and if Shakespeare lived today, I doubt he’d be any good at Continue reading

0 Why is it so hard to get teenagers to concentrate on schoolwork

perman asks: I am a maths teacher. Many students say that they can not concentrate on studies at this age. What’s the reason? Can you offer me any help to convince them.

Hi perman –

I have a number of posts on here for teens, about how to concentrate better, and study better.  It’s always been very difficult, but you’re right, today it’s even more than usual.

Why has it always been difficult?  Well, mainly because this is a time in life when people’s bodies are changing very quickly, their hormones are going just wild, they’re becoming much more interested in their peers than in anything else, and many of those peers are also changing, in ways that can become very very attractive!

But also, the teenage years are a time when humans begin to question Continue reading

0 why are teens drinking so much today

max asks: What’s the reason for the increase of young teenagers that drink today?

Hi max –

I have to be honest with you, max.  I’ve been looking around the internet, and I’m not seeing clear statistics about an increase.  In fact, in the US, it appears teenage drinking has gone down in the last decade.

But don’t get the idea that I’m saying it’s not a problem.  That reduction might well be because teens are doing more of other substances!

What I think you’re seeing, max, is due to two factors.  One is that as people get older, people younger than them look younger!  So if you were, say twelve, and you saw a fourteen-year-old drinking beer at a party, you were seeing an “older teen.”  But if you’re thirty and you see that same fourteen-year-old, you’re seeing a Continue reading

0 How to get a parent to not touch you so much

jamz12 asks: My Father is always teasing me, so whenever he touches me I get annoyed, yell at him, etc. What should I do to control my emotions? Because I know that I hurt his feelings when I yell at him.

Hi jamz12 –

I love that you’re concerned about your father’s feelings.  That’s a good quality, that will serve you well as your life goes on.

But I wish he showed as much concern for yours.

Look, it’s tough to be a parent.  For the first few years, you have a 24-hour job of taking care of this helpless little being, and the only reward you get is to stuff your face into its tummy and make farting noises with your mouth!  Then the kid gets older, and you love nothing more than the physical connection you have with them – hugs, them falling asleep on you, all that.  Then they get a little older than that… and suddenly they want their own space.  They don’t want you touching them all the time.  And of course, that Continue reading

0 Is it dangerous to date someone too good-looking?

michelle asks: What will you do if a very handsome guy who is every girl`s dream tells you he loves you? Would you accept it because he is every girls dream? Or not?

Hi michelle –

Well, I might be the wrong one to ask.  You see, to my mind, the handsomest guy in the world is the human I live with.  No one in the world makes me happier to see.  That’s why I call him Handsome.

And Handsome tells me he loves me every day.  In a thousand ways.  So what do I do when he tells me that?  Let’s see, I jump on him, I lick his face, I bite his Continue reading

0 How to name a dog

dog asks: What is the name of your dog?

Hi dog –

Umm…  I’m kind of confused.  You see, I am a dog!  I don’t own one.  I guess I could if I had puppies, but I don’t.

Rather, I just have a human.  Now I hear people call him different things all the time, but I call him a name I made up.  You see, just like all dogs, I think my human is the most wonderful, brilliant, and best-smelling person in the world.  And there’s no one whose looks make me happier.  So I call him Continue reading

0 How to train a dog

jamz12 asks: How can I train dogs?

Hi jamz12 –
Well, of course, I’ve never trained a dog.  I have spent most of my lifetime training a human – and at this point I’ve got him feeding me, walking me, and scratching me at that place I really love right there, just on the left side of my tummy, where I can never quite scratch myself in quite the right….  Oooooooohhhhhhhh yeah, that’s it…  Aaaaaaahhhhhh!

There are lots of experts out there, who know how to train difficult dogs, or train dogs to do amazing tricks.  But usually, what people really want is to train their dogs to do three things:  1) be safe; 2) not hurt or bother other people; and 3) be easy to Continue reading

0 Can a girl’s family get into trouble because her boyfriend ran away to her?

dazedandconfused asks: I’m a teenage girl, with a boyfriend. His parents always liked me and mine always liked him. His parents never let him stay over at my house, but the other night he told his mom he was staying at a friend’s, and instead came to my house. Around 10 his parents guessed he wasn’t at his friend’s and started freaking out, and my mom had no clue he wasn’t supposed to be there (she thought he was allowed). So as soon as she figured that out, my mom drove him home. It was around 10:30 when he got there. His parents were really mad. I don’t blame them, but his mom is claiming she’s gonna call the cops about it all. I’m worried to talk to my mom and dad about his mom wanting to involve the cops, but I know I have to. My question for you is, legally, is there really anything the cops can do? My boyfriend willingly lied to his parents and came to my house. It’s not like me or my mom forced him – my mom didn’t even know! Can the police technically get involved with this or would it be seen as a personal “deal with it yourself” thing? If they can, how serious do you think the punishment could be for me, him and/or my parents? And do you think his mom is pushing it too far?

Hi dazedandconfused –

Of course I’m just a dog, and don’t know all the laws where I live, much less for everywhere in the world (and of course I don’t know where you live!).  But I can generally say… No.  Certainly you and your parents have done nothing wrong at all.  And the fact that your mom drove him home the second she found out what was going on proves that she was completely innocent.  And even your boyfriend… the cops probably will tell him to obey his parents, but they don’t stick teens in jail for disobedience to their moms (with all the economic problems the world’s governments are suffering right now, they’d all go completely bankrupt if they had to do that!!!).

But this isn’t necessarily good news for your boyfriend!  You see, police are restrained by laws; if he was arrested, they’d have to treat him with a certain amount of respect, since he’s a nonviolent citizen.  Whereas his Continue reading