QUESTION FROM A 7 YEAR OLD GIRL ABOUT A NEW GIRL BEING MEAN TO HER.

QUESTION: I'm 7 and I’m in 2^nd grade. There is a girl in my class that’s new in our school. She’s kind of mean and calls me and my friend’s names like “dummy” and she calls my friend “fatso”.  I really don’t know what to do. I’m kind of a quiet kid and I don’t usually speak up for myself.

ANSWER:  It’s important to learn to speak up for yourself and your friends too. You can’t just let other people treat you in a mean way.

When kids are new in a school they don’t feel very settled and sometimes don’t know how to make friends. You could try to be her friend and include her.  If that doesn’t work you have to make her stop being mean to you.

 In my school and most every classroom there is a sign that's on the wall.  It says:

1. Ignore

2. Say to the person "please stop".

3. Tell the teacher.

If you do that and it doesn’t work try it again.  Say, “STOP!  Now I’m getting very mad. If you keep doing it I’ll get madder and madder.  Then tell the person “I will tell my mom.  I will tell the teacher and I will tell the office at dismissal.”

I’m sorry that someone is hurting your feelings. Don’t let that keep happening!  I hope this helps you.

PROBLEM AN 11 YEAR OLD GIRL IS HAVING WITH HER DAD CALLING HER NAMES

QUESTION: Dear Alyssa, My dad and I fight all the time. I guess that’s usual for teens/tweens, but I don’t really think so.

Anytime I push him to the edge, he ends up calling me names. Sometimes cuss words, but mostly “fat” and “ugly”.

 I don’t know what to do; I feel like I really am what he calls me. I have very low self-esteem, and he is making only harder for me.

ANSWER: Have you talked to your mom and told her that the names that your dad calls you hurt a lot?  Ask your mom to tell your dad that you don’t like it and he should stop.

You could talk to the counselor or your teacher at school if you need more people to talk to and if nobody at home is listening.

No one has the right to call you names, especially your father! You can’t let his words ruin your life.

You’re doing a very good thing by helping other people with your website.  That’s how you should think of yourself because of all the good you do! And there are probably plenty more good things you do! You have to think about that and not what he says to you! Believe in you!

Question from a Parent about figuring out homework time!

QUESTION: How we can make children to do their work by calculating time available for them?

ANSWER:  It takes different kids different amount of time to do things.  If they have a big project they should do a little bit each day.  If it’s homework, you need to help them figure out how long it takes to do each part.  If it’s a lot of homework they should have a break in between each subject so they can think better.  After a while, you usually figure out how long all of it will take.  When they’re done they can do something fun!

QUESTION FROM A 6 YEAR OLD ABOUT HER RED HAIR

QUESTION: I’m 6 and I have red hair.  My dad has red hair so my mom says that I match him.  My problem is that I don’t think that I like it anymore.  There is no one else in my whole class that has red hair and some of the kids tease me about it. Yesterday one boy said I look like a carrot.  I cried at school and my teacher yelled at the boy who said it.  I’m glad that he got in trouble. I want to wear hats to school but we have uniforms so I can’t.  How can I hide my hair?

ANSWER: First of all, don’t hide your hair! Everyone is beautiful for who they are even if people say you’re not. I actually think that you’re lucky to have red hair. 
Sometimes I want red hair because not many people have it and it looks exotic.

When you look in the mirror you should think that you are more than who you are (like how special you are and lucky to have what most people don’t have.)

I understand why you would cry because he was rude but you should just ignore him!

7 YEAR OLD HAVING NIGHTMARES

QUESTION: I’m 7 and I keep getting nightmares from a Harry Potter movie I saw. My friend likes Harry Potter movies so I watched one at my friend’s house. My mom said she knew I’d get nightmares but I told her that I wouldn’t.  My mom is a little bit mad that I saw it. I don’t want to tell my friend because he’ll think I’m a baby. I’m afraid that when I go over his house again he’ll want me to watch another one with him.  I don’t know what to say.

ANSWER: If your friend ever asks you to see one again, you should tell your friend that your mom won’t let you see them until you’re older. You said your mom was a little bit mad so I don’t think that she wants you to see more anyway. You don’t have to say anything about the nightmares because all you have to say is that you’re not allowed.

I hope this helps!

Friends Being Mean!

QUESTION: I got selected student of the month and some of my friends started treating me differently. Some of them stop talking to me. (From a 4th grader)

ANSWER: If you’re talking about it too much you shouldn’t do that. They could be jealous or annoyed with you.  If they are just jealous you could say “That you’ll probably get a chance to be student of the month too.”  Just keep being nice and the kids will probably start talking to you again. You should be proud to be student of the month because you earned it!