Rule number one: if you need to ask strangers if you should have sex, you shouldn't, because something in you is telling you that it's not the right time.

Rule number two: never have sex with a guy who won't commit. You're good enough to have sex with, but not for him to date? That doesn't fly with me. He wants to use you. You might have imagined your first time with him, but not as some chick he's nailing. Your first time should be special, with someone who respects and loves you.

In any relationship, be that friendship, family or a romantic relationship, you'll come against times when you disagree. Some people are too proud to admit that they're wrong or that they need help. So instead of admitting their mistakes or asking for help, they'll let the relationship deteriorate for the sake of pride.

Have you checked out the YMCA? At mine, they consider a student to be anyone in school over age 13, with a valid student card. You even get a discounted membership. Full access to facilities :)

I really don't see how you can say that he broke up with you. You told him you wanted to break up because you had been arguing, even though he was willing to try and work things out. Sounds like you did the breaking up to me... maybe not officially, but in spirit.

That sort of attitude towards hardships would certainly damage my trust! When you're in a relationship with someone, you don't want to be with a person who will bolt when there's trouble. Relationships are about sticking together through the tough times.

He needs to see proof that you're willing to try. Show him that you're not so easily put off, and you may have another chance with him.

Persuasive speech is used any time you're trying to persuade someone to change their opinion. You'll find examples in just about any situation like that.

Like, for instance...

"It's wrong to ask others to do your homework because homework is intended to help you develop skills on your own, outside of class. By having someone else do your homework, you may get good grades, but will miss out on valuable experience and knowledge," she said sarcastically.

;)

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I've always thought it was the third date when you were supposed to kiss :\

Also, the mall really isn't THE place to have your first kiss. I know I would personally prefer something a little more cozy and a lot less public.

On the third date, he's fair game. Kiss away :)

The toner will be drying out your skin and closing your pores (that's what it's for), and then you're leaving your skin dry until the morning. By that point, it'll already be too late, because your outer layer of skin won't readily absorb the moisturizer.

Usually, I wash/exfoliate in the morning, followed by a facial moisturizer with SPF (they don't make you oily) immediately after.

At your age and level of education you won't be able to get paid anything more than minimum wage. It is incredibly hard to raise a family on that, especially when one of the family has special medical needs.

It costs a lot to move out on your own. Have you sat down and figured out exactly what you need to be able to move out and to live comfortably in Washington? If you want to convince your parents, you should do it now. Make up a list and find out reasonable prices, then show them and see if your research is right. Make a monthly budget that allows for savings, not just scraping by, because what if one of you loses their job? Or what if the car breaks down and you have to buy another? Or what if there's a medical emergency? Even if nothing goes wrong, there's still your baby's education to think of!

Start-up things like:

- First and last months' rent
- Furniture and household items (dishes, etc)
- Deposits for utilities
- Moving costs

And living stuff like:

- Rent
- Electrical bills
- Gas
- Phone, TV and internet
- Renter's insurance
- Cell phone
- Baby supplies (diapers, clothes, toys, etc)
- Food
- Transportation (public transit or car, insurance, gas)
- Entertainment
- An emergency fund in case something goes wrong.

You're very lucky that your parents are giving you a break and letting you live with them. Many teen mothers wouldn't have the same opportunities. If you stay for a while and save up, you'll have a much more comfortable time when you do move out.

As for "What about when I have another baby...", don't. You are not in a situation where you can have another baby right now and support them. Yes, it sucks. But I'm 23, engaged for 3 years and would LOVE to get married and have a baby right now. Why haven't I? Because we're being responsible and waiting until I have my education and can give our baby everything that they'll need. Think of your children, not yourself when you're making decisions for your future. Sound harsh? It's reality.

I third the motion. Being hospitalized for anorexia, dealing with hair loss, bone density loss, heart troubles and potential death is a lot worse than dealing with some period issues.

There are other ways to make your period more bearable.

You can go the natural route. This involves tons of exercise, eating light, healthy meals, drinking lots of water, avoiding caffeine and chocolate and taking Midol. This will fix most peoples' problems.

Otherwise, you can go on birth control. There are some that give you fewer or no periods, but most of them lighten it without the side effects of the stronger ones. Talk to your doctor and let them know that you're having uncomfortable periods, and they can help you out with choosing the best one for you.

Been there, done that.

The best way to handle people asking about your future, or trying to make plans for you is to have a deflecting statement. What do I mean?

Something like "Whoa! I hardly have a handle on today, let alone 3 years from now!"

You don't need to tell anyone that you don't want to plan the future with them. Just let them know that in general, you're not ready to even start thinking about anything beyond breakfast tomorrow morning.

I would suggest that rather than playing a guessing game, you use an online calorie tracker instead.

I'm using MyFitnessPal, which is fantastic. Spark People is another great one. Both are free websites.

Both sites have a catalog of foods, and you can add your own meals and recipes. You just click on what you've eaten for the day and it shows you how many calories, and you can even track other things like protein intake, fat intake or fibre intake.

Both sites have a goal setting function. When you register, you put in your weight, how much you want to weigh and how fast you want to lose weight (to a maximum of 2 lbs a week; that's the fastest healthy weight loss). Then it gives you a calorie limit which, when used with the calorie tracker, shows you how much you need to eat. It's important to stay as close as you can to this number: if you stay too far below you'll kill your metabolism and end up gaining weight.

Both sites also have forums for support, which can be great when you're having a dilemma or want to share a success.

Your best bet would probably be an army surplus store. They carry a lot of non-lethal military gear.

It's very possible that his depression, diabetes or the medications being used to treat his conditions are responsible.

Have him talk to his doctor. Sexual side effects are very common when taking antidepressants, and there are other meds that can be combined with his current ones or taken instead that will cancel out the negative effects. Sure, it's embarrassing, but it's better than letting a relationship die for preventable reasons!

If you want to maintain any sort of relationship with T, you can't tell him.

First off, you have no solid proof; only rumours that sound convincing enough for you to believe them. If you were to go to him and say "I've heard that your girlfriend is cheating on you", he'd want proof to back it up. If you couldn't present, you'd look like a fool.

Secondly, even if you did have solid proof, you would forever be the girl who ended that relationship. That's not a good place to be if you want to date him in the future.

Soon enough, his friends will man up and tell him, or he'll figure it out on his own and dump her. Unfortunately, the best you can do is be there to help pick up the pieces at the end of it.

There is a possibility, but it's pretty slim.

Even if he hadn't ejaculated in you, you still could have become pregnant.

However, the shot is a terribly effective form of birth control. I was on it for a year, and it took me another full year to get my cycle back to normal. It's not like the shot loses all effectiveness right away at the end of 3 months: the hormones have just depleted to a degree where you have a higher possibility of getting pregnant. So I wouldn't worry too much.

Believe it or not, I've been where you are. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, OCD and anxiety early this year.

2 years ago, I wandered out into a huge snowstorm in the middle of the night without a coat because I was convinced that my fiance and psychiatrist were trying to kill me. They had to call the police to get me. I ended up being hospitalized for 2 weeks. I used to have blackouts, hallucinations and violent rages, and I've attempted suicide on several occasions, most recently last year around this time. So don't think I'm giving you self-righteous B.S.

You need to stay on your medication until you can get an appointment with your psychiatrist. If you stop taking it, that will make you feel even worse, because most medications for neurological conditions have terrible withdrawal side effects. Make notes as to what effects the medication is having on you and when. When you see your doctor, you have to tell them that it's making you feel ill. They may be able to combine with another medication, start you on another (there's no way you've taken every single option out there) or offer a way to help keep the one you're on from making you sick. If you're not happy with their advice, find another doctor who will listen to you.

If you feel that you are a danger to yourself or others, head to the emergency room, let them know and voluntarily commit yourself. I know it's a hard thing to do, but it can help you in ways you could never imagine. I did it, and it's why I'm here, giving you advice right now. You'll get round-the-clock supervision, a chance to rest and rebuild. I took DBT classes (dielectic behavioural therapy) while I was there to help me learn how to control my borderline disorder.

Suicide is not the answer. I know what you're dealing with, and I understand that you have to deal with it for life. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it will go away. But you know what? It does get better. Once you're on the right meds and have the right skills for coping, you will be able to live a relatively normal life, just like anyone with a disease does. Should someone with diabetes kill themselves? Not at all... even though diabetes can cause horrible symptoms, with proper treatment and monitoring you can live a happy, productive, long life.

If you need anything at all, feel free to inbox me.

I'm no doctor, but as a fellow woman I can tell you that she needs to see one!

If your wife is bleeding that heavily, it's possible that she's miscarrying or that there's another serious medical issue. She could be putting herself at risk of anemia or worse by not seeing a doctor ASAP.

We can't make snap judgments about your relationship because of one side of an isolated incident.

My advice to you would be to take a chill pill, relax and just see where things are instead of trying to read meaning into every time he can't hang out or answer his texts immediately. Chances are he's busy. He's working, right? Maybe he just didn't want to go to the store. We don't know.

If you're constantly freaking out about his every move, your relationship will be miserable for the both of you. If you really are concerned about a pattern that he's developed (like, say, not seeing you for a month) then you should talk to him. Let him know what you're feeling about the situation and see where he stands on the issue.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labour and Industry,

"Minors under 14 years of age may not be employed or permitted to work in any occupation, except children employed on farms or in domestic service in private homes. No minor under 14 years of age may be employed on a farm by a person other than the farmer. Under certain restrictions, caddies may be employed at the age of 12, news carriers at 11 years of age, and juvenile performers in the entertainment field at the age of 7. Minors and infants may be in the cast of a motion picture if special permit is obtained."

So you have to be at least 14 unless you're working in a private home, on a farm, on a golf course, doing a paper route or acting.

I'm afraid it's not something I've ever purchased, but if you google "cardboard cutouts" and your country, you should be able to find an online store that delivers to your area.

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

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