Dear
I just moved to a new town.
Can I tell my NEW friends about my OLD friend?
Signed,
The New Girl

Dear New Girl,
Absolutely! It’s okay to miss your old friends even if you really really like your new friends. Pretending that you don’t would make you feel sad. And it’s not good to begin new friendships with secrets or lies.

Dear

HELP! I think my new friends have a secret they’re not telling me.
I feel totally left out. It’s killing me not knowing.
Signed,
2 Curious

Dear 2 Curious,
There’s only one thing to do: Be direct. Ask your friends about it. But be ready to respect their privacy if they aren’t ready to share their secret. And try not to feel lonely or left out. Who knows, maybe they are planning a surprise party for YOU!

Dear

So, I’ve just moved and I’m having a hard time settling in.
My new room is nice, but it just doesn’t feel like mine.
Signed,
Moving-n-Moping

Dear Moving-n-Moping,
You’re not going to want to hear this, but you just have to give it some time. And be patient with yourself. Moving is hard on everyone. And it takes some time to get used to a new situation.

As for making your room feel like home, try unpacking your stuff. When you are surrounded by your own clothes and toys and posters, you’ll feel at home in no time.

Dear ,

Help! It’s another endless recess. Just like all the others since everything went wrong and my friends started playing without me. I can hear them laughing and joking. They even found a girl to replace me for soccer games as if I didn’t matter. I feel like I don’t fit in anywhere anymore. I miss my friends and I don’t know what to do. Can you help?
Signed,
Rejected at Recess

Dear Recess,
Here’s what you shouldn’t go: Hide in the bathroom and cry. Or spend all your lunchtimes alone in the library avoiding your friends. Let someone in on what you’re going through. Talk to your friends about what’s wrong and hope for the best. If you’re scared, write out everything you want to say beforehand. Hopefully, your friends will understand. It may even make your friendships stronger. Or you may realize that you and your friends are starting to grow apart. It may be painful, but it happens to a lot of people.

A great thing to do in the meantime is to try and get to know some new people. Here’s something to keep in mind when you are making new friends: It takes time. What you think about them at first may change. People may turn out to be more fun than you first thought. And you may end up with more friends than you had before!

Dear ,

My sister hates me! What do I do? She won’t talk to me.
She totally ignores me. She won’t even watch TV with me.
Signed,
Family Feud

Dear Family Feud,
It’s not likely that your sister actually hates you. It’s totally normal for sisters (and brothers) to argue and give each other the cold shoulder from time to time.

But what can you do about it right now? You could try to talk to her. Get your sister in the mood to share her feelings by doing something silly together. Is there something you both find fun?

The thing to remember is that these arguments don’t last forever. The only thing that endures is family and your friendship.

Dear ,
What if you do accidentally do something wrong, but saying
you’re sorry isn’t good enough? How do you fix things then?
Signed,
Oops!

Dear Oops!,
Maybe this person is mad at you, but maybe they aren’t. Different people have different ways of showing their emotions. Maybe your friend is going through something rough at home that is making her cranky and grumpy at school. Or maybe your coach yells because he thinks it will help you improve at your sport. Before you start to worry, think about what could be going on that doesn’t have anything to do with you.

The most important thing of all is not to hide your feelings. Try talking it out with another friend or trusted adult first. Then, when you are feeling brave enough, talk to the person you think is mad at you. It just might make you feel a lot better.