I have an idea. Buy a large board and glue them as best you can in any order or even random and then get that framed. So it will be a big white board with a lot of stones on it. That will look neat and original because you can't buy it anywhere else. Hope that helped.

xo megaroni's got the idea. I'll add my own bit to it though. How do you know he's not nervous or afraid to talk to you in person at school? He might feel the same way and not do anything because he's too afraid. It could be that. I say you should definatley ask. As difficult as that may seem, its definatley the best thing to do. Why? Because 1. If he doesn't like you, you could stop yourself from going too far and getting hurt, and 2. Because if he does feel the same way, that will definatley help him confidence wise, even you too. So yes ask him if he likes you. Don't expect the worst too. I mean from what it sounds it looks like you both are friends, so you shouldn't be scared of his reaction. Yes you don't know what it will be, but it can't be as bad as you think it is if you manage to talk alot on the phone and everything else.

By the way its ok to feel about a guy that way. Just try not to let it get to your head or push things too far because you might hurt him or yourself and thats never fun, right? Don't be too afraid to go for a chance though, or because of what you think may happen not even try. So yeah just ask him, in person if he likes you, don't expect the worst, and be confident in yourself. Hope that helped and good luck.

Age is not always the deciding factor - it should be maturity. At 10 I baby sat my three younger siblings, one of which was less than a year old. Was I old enough? Probably not, but I was and still am mature and responsible. If you feel that you and your friend are, then go for it. As for charging...since you are going to split, I'd say 12 dollars an hour, 6 each sounds reasonable. I mean you don't want to push it if it is your first time. You should try more for experience and learning rather than for money. Once you get used to everything and are a lot more confident then yeah charge a bit more. As for time parents stay out... thats hard to say, it could be 2-3 hours or even past 5. Definatley bring stuff to do like with the kid if they are old enough and stuff. Remember to try and not talk to anyone on the phone and really pay attention to the kid; I know it sounds easy and lame, but you don't want anything to happen or for you to mess up. So hope that helped and good luck.

Well first off...no offence but is it your looks that you want to be loved for? I'm guessing thats not the case, being that even though you've heard it a million times, in a real relationship looks don't matter. If you are going to like Brian, then make sure it's not because he's good looking, but for who he is. Not saying it will happen, but it could turn out that after you do ask him out and he accepts, you find him to be a jerk or someone you don't want to be with. I suggest to wait first and develop a friendship. Do what it takes, talk to him about anything, but try to get things going again. Really, if you are close friends then it will be easier to pull off than if you almost never talk, makes sence right? So I say get to know him a bit first, and let him know about who you really are and not what your friends say. Hope that helped and good luck.

I think you are just nervous. You should definatley relax about it instead of thinking about all the 'what if' situations. Whats it been, three years? If you've still been close for that long, then chances are that there wouldn't be a reason for either of you hating the other. It will turn out well if you have your mind set that it will. If you expect something to go wrong, then it probably will.

You're out to finally meet and have a good time...so go and do that! He's definatley more nervous than you. If you establish more confidence when he arrives, and put on a positive attitude and really just go with the flow, then that will definatley help the both of you out feel less nervous and a lot more comfortable. Really, if something wrong was going to happen between you, it would have already happend, right? Well I hope everything goes well and best of luck.

P.S. - Good things come to those who wait.

No there is nothing wrong with you. Nobody said that because you are in high school you have to date somebody, especially not at 14. Don't let any kind of pressure let you think or act that way. Really...if you are looking for somebody just for the sake of having a relationship, then chances are things won't turn out as planned and either/both of you will get hurt. Is that what you really want? Not having a boyfriend/girlfriend is never a negative thing. You have more time for yourself, don't have to worry about someone else other than you, and are not limited by who you can and can't hang out with.

So yeah don't look around so much for a relationship right now, just friendships - because thats how a relationship starts out in the first place. Hope that helped and good luck.

Before you consider breaking up with him or something, definatley ask him. As difficult as that may be, ask him: hey I always see you flirting with other girls, why is that? If he doesn't give you a reasonable answer, or any answer, ask him to stop because you don't appreciate it.

Try and see who it is he flirts with. Are they girls that are his friends? Your friends? Random girls? I would definatley be more approachful if it was random girls.

He might not even realize he's flirting, don't take that the wrong way though. Sometimes it could be just his idea of 'being nice'. You should still definatley ask him about it and tell him how you feel, otherwise its bound to continue. So should you let it go on? Of course not, I'm sure he'd feel the same way you do right now if you were the one flirting with other guys that weren't him. Hope that helped and good luck.

Be yourself of course. Don't try and shoot for getting guys to like you before they even get to know you. Get to know anyone and let them know about yourself. Form friendships. Thats how you get to know them better, who they hang out with, other people, etc.

As for being shy...don't think about that too much, as in don't remind yourself that you are shy around guys, because chances are that when you do that, it will be more difficult to overcome that. You could also try talking to them as if they were already your friend, not in a weird way, casual. Hope that helped, good luck.

An idea I once had for a podcast [iPod broadcast] would actually fit this situation. See, my idea was to...survey or question girls on certain topics, such as why they do or say certain things. I would want to choose a question that guys are usually curious about, then ask several, and it should be more than 6, different girls about it, and get their responce back then try and form some sort of hypothesis.

If you have the time to do that, or e-mail people to get responces, I think that would be a good idea to talk about for a few minutes because it will interest the guys because really, just about all of us are clue-less, so we would want to know things like: why do girls always walk around in pairs or groups; why are there so many different sizes and types of bags, and which are better; what should we do when you feel upset or hurt, etc. Stuff like that. I think it might also interest other girls because that would give them a chance to hear things from different perspectives and either agree or disagree. You could even have people call in or e-mail to give feedback on what other people said.

If that doesn't work...NPR, National Public Radio, has a daily segment called 'Story of the Day'. If you'd like, you could either find it online, or use iTunes, and under Podcasts, find it there. I'm not sure what its called, but there is also a Podcast which broadcasts a segment on the topic 'this day in history'. That is usually an interesting one. There are many other podcasts available which you may even want to talk about or even present, like repeat what is said [with giving credit to them of course].

Anyways, hope that helped and good luck.

Definatley talk to Alex about it. Tell her everything you wrote up there, and how you feel about it. Communication is key in any friendship, because I'm sure you would have wanted her to tell you what she was feeling or thinking. It looks like you should take a step foward. By that I mean sit her down and tell her how you feel about the whole situation and how you don't want to lose her as a friend. Ask her this: is this one incident worth destryoing our whole friendship? Personally, I don't think it is, but I don't know what either of you have on your minds, but probably something around those lines. Don't be nervous or worry too much about talking to her either. She's your friends - you know how she responds and what she is like and how to talk to her. Be yourself, and be confident. Don't make it seem like you are demanding your friendship back, or that you are extremley desperate. I'm sure that if you talk to her and give her some time and space and be there for her when she needs you, things should get back to normal. Hope that helped and good luck.

Nah. Its ok that you are shy around guys, just as many guys are shy around girls, so you aren't the only one. I know what you mean about not knowing what to say though...I say just relax. If you play it off like they are already your friend and you know them [not in a weird way, a casual way]. Really, if you keep reminding yourself that you are shy or that guys won't like you for that, you'll probably turn out to be more shy or nervous, and not be as confident as you should. I say just be yourself, and just because you might be shy around guys, doesn't mean you don't know how to have fun. Show them that. Hope that helped, good luck.

Podcast, or iPod broadcast, are free. All you need to do is either suscribe or purchase it. You do not need an account, and they don't cost anything at all. Once you download it, other than the library, you will have a seperate section just for podcasts. Once you update your iPod, all of your podcasts should appear in the playlist section, under podcast. Hope that helped.

P.S. - they are simply just broadcasts, similar to radio broadcasts. Depending on the type you want, there are sports, games, interviews, or fun stuff.

punch them in the neck

1st Paragraph - Intro
2nd Paragraph - Description [of place or things]
3rd/4th Paragraph - Body or reasons for what you are talking about/ story
5th Paragraph - Conclusion and why you wrote about what you did

What topic sentence with transition means is that the topic sentence has to do with what you are going to talk about, make it flow from the sentence into the rest of the paragraph in a logical sence. Hope that helped and good luck.

You will need a media player such as iTunes or Windows Media Player. I would suggest iTunes if you don't already have it. www.itunes.com . Open the songs up in iTunes and make a playlist. Insert a blank disk and it will give you instructions on how to burn a cd. Good luck and hope that helped.

Hmm...I don't think there are any clear cut signs that show that. You should ask yourself a few things, like make a list: why do I like him; what do I like about him; what don't I like about him; is he my friend? You have to sort out your feelings to find out now how much you might like him, but why. Once you find out why, thats when you decide if all those reasons are important to you and good enough to consider him more than a crush. If you come up with the conclusion you like him for his character [who he is] and not so much his personality [what he appears to everyone else(which sometimes might be different or the same)] then maybe you do like him, but thats all up to you. Wether or not its just a crush or you do like him, doesn't mean you have to do something about it or treat him differently. Hope that helped and good luck.

Depends on gender and height of course. Here's a website: http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/growth_charts.html

Scroll down and hit the appropriate link for either guy or girl. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the files. Its a medical chart to show where you should be and what is average or too high or too low.

For example, a good range for a 15 year old girl would be anywhere from 105 lbs to 140. Of course it does depend on height so that is also a factor. Hope that helped.

Well I'll let you know one thing - the shy guys that never admit their feelings sometimes turn out to be the best boyfriends, or even just regular friends. Don't let it get to you if your friend is the one with 'all the crushes'. Really, do you want to have to worry about your appearence all the time, that guys are watching you all the time, that if you mess up or look bad at something everyone will know all the time? Not saying that its not a good thing, but you also might not like all that attention. I can relate to what you are feeling: why always them and not me? It all depends. Don't try to compare yourself to your friend or be like her - because you aren't her, and wouldn't want to be liked for being like her. Hmm...in this situation I don't see much you could do to solve it. Firstly, haven't you ever looked through guys and not noticed them? I have a feeling just about everyone is guilty of that, and its not something thats done purposley. So don't let it get to you or think that you have to flirt or anything like that to get guys to notice you. I say just be yourself and be patient - good things come to those who wait. Hope that helped and good luck.

Take it easy, and don't go gay...Don't go looking for love, love will find you. More often than not, if you search for it, you'll go through everything before you find it.

No offence, but personally I don't like the term 'nice guy'. Why? Because its not the same to you as it would be to a bunch of girls or a bunch of other guys. To some girls, being a nice guy = being a push over and too easy. Other girls think being a nice guy = the man of your dreams. You've had your share of bad luck and failed attempts, but that doesn't mean theres anything wrong with you.

Maybe you should change your approach. Instead of looking for lets say, a girlfriend, look for a friend who is a girl...which is actually how most relationships start out. If you are friends with them for a longer time, you'll know how they act and what they are like and see if they are right for you - which is only half of the equation, because they'll do the same thing by fidning out if you are right for them. If they aren't right for you, or vice versa, you would be able to see that before you get into a relationship and risk getting hurt again or anything like that.

Don't expect to hit it off with any and every girl you meet or are friends with. And are you the only person your age who is in the same situation as you - guy or girl? Of course not! You definatley still have a chance. Being a 'nice guy' is usually a great thing, but not when its overdone. You don't want to be, as some girls call it: spineless or a pushover. You don't have to be the 'a-hole that gets all the girls' either. Because really, in the end do they get anything at all? So chin up. Learn from your mistakes and try different things. Why? Because all girls are different, and you should try to adjust to them as to how to treat them, what to say to them. You would want to know if one of the girls you meet can take a joke and likes to party, or is shy and lives a quiet life. I hope that helped, and good luck.

P.S. - Be yourself because it is what you would want them to like you for - not what you look like or try to say and do.

Hmm...this is a tough one. First off thanks for dropping it in my inbox, feel free to do so any other time you'd like.

Well he says he loves you and you love him, right? If you wanted to start or even continue a good friendship or relationship, communication is key. How? Well picture this: would you want him to tell you that he's only doing and saying all of that because he feels bad for you and would choose his gf over you? I'm guessing you would want to know that, not saying thats the case. What I mean to say is that in any sort of relationship being open and telling eachother everything is important...trust me on that one. If you ever have doubts, questions, bad feeling about something, thats what you tell each other and talk about.

You want him to just choose and make up his mind...but at the same time not lose him? Well I'll let you know one thing, or maybe you already knew it, but some guys are alot more emotional than you think. Not saying this guy is, but its usually more difficult for a guy to sort out his feelings when it comes to love and all of that. It can be done, but because not all guys deal with that subject all the time or even want to, its difficult - thats mostly because guys don't like to uhh 'let it all out' and tell everyone what they are feeling.

First you should ask him about his gf. Ask him what he honestly thinks of her, what he wants to do, and if he intends to keep things going on between the two of you while he still has a gf. No offence, but I'm sure that if you were ever in the situation where you were being cheated on, you'd want to know right away, as most people would. Would you want it going on for so long and not knowing about it? Of course not. So tell him that and ask him to sort out his feelings between the both of you. Thats not asking to choose one over the other, but just to clarify things up as to why he likes you and why he likes her. You don't have to say: hey choose one of us right now or else! Try something more like: I think you need to sort things out with yourself and then with both of us, because if you keep things going, we are all going to end up getting hurt...which is true. Let him know that you aren't pressuring him and that you aren't making him lean to your side [as much as you want to], because really, you'd want his love for you to be his own decision, and not your persuasion.

As for telling him all that and being afraid of losing him...don't be afraid. The fact that you are willing to take a step and put an end to what could turn out to be a disaster shows character, and he should be able to see that. What I'm guessing he doesn't want to do, as well as I'm sure any other guy, is hurt the other girl's feelings, which is probably why he hasn't broken up with her. Don't expect to get totally rejected, and plus - you know him, so you'll know how to ask him and how to bring this all upon him. Don't say: oh because you said this and did that it has to be me. That might only guilt him into choosing you, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that. But in the event that he does choose his gf over you, even though you love him you didn't lose, and I'll tell you why: 1. You now have less of a chance of being hurt if things don't work out
2. He's still your friend and can still talk to him about regular things
3. He loved you once, so who's to say he can't again or still doesn't.

Anyways I hope that helped. If you need anything else or wasn't sure on what I said let me know and I'll be glad to help. Good luck!

Feel free to ask me any questions or for an alternate way of contacting me through my inbox.

I really like giving advice, so thats why I have a column here. I've been inactive for a long time, but I'm back and will do my best to catch up. Advicenators is a great site and it is what we make it. Having my own advice column helped me learn a lot of new things, even about myself, while giving me the chance to help others along the way. Thanks.

Gender:
Location:
Occupation:
Age:
Member Since:
Answers:
Last Update:
Visitors:
Main Categories:



Favorite Columnists