ask karenR



read advice get advice make favorite read feedback advicenators



I have gone from younggrandma to just yg. Now,
I am using my real name.
I don't think anyone who knows me will have trouble figuring out who that is!


I have been gone a while dealing with things in my own life. I am back now to help once again. Do not expect answers from me that just tell you what you want to hear. Life is to short for nonsense. :)
Website: advicenators forum
E-mail: karenrickel@gmail.com
Gender: Female
Location: KANSAS
Occupation: Homemaker,EMT, ER worker, Medical assistant
Member Since: March 4, 2005
Answers: 10132
Last Update: July 29, 2022
Visitors: 575366


Favorite Columnists
ammo
DangerNerd
SilentOne
adviceman49
Razhie
isis
Xenolan
flare
Erinn_the_bamf
selectopaque
storageanddisposal
more...

i am a 16 yr. old male. i am 6 ft. so i am thinking i dont have much more growing to do. my body is well developed. but anyways...i have developed a hard bump in my left nipple. some people have told me that its from peuberty and they all had it in like middle school. but i find that hard to believe b/c i wasnt a late bloomer or anything. and im just now getting it? is this normal? (link)
For your peace of mind see a doctor. I have never heard of it being a normal part of puberty (doesn't mean it isn't). I'd check it out...at least ask your mom about it. :)


Ok, so I went out with this guy, let's say in like November. Well we broke up after about 2 weeks and it was squashed, didn't talk much, started dating other people rather quickly and such. We've been hanging out recently and have had sex, but he has a girlfriend, and yes, I do feel used, but the way he acts and talks towards me, really sends me mixed signals and I'm not sure as to what to do. Any advice?

Signed,
Second Thoughts? (link)
Send him packing. Sorry but he is getting all the benefits from having a girlfriend AND you when she isn't available. You are the one who will be hurt before it's over. Find someone who will treat you with respect. :)


ok..I have scoliosis and my mom says doing pilates or yoga would help..would that really work? (link)
Don't know if this site will do you any good but it was informative about scoliosis and yoga. The girl who wrote it recommends some books and you can also email her if you need more info.

http://www.ctds.info/scoliosis_exercise.html

Hope you find something useful :)


Ok so I have a good amount of friends and everything... but I am a bit shy. I just know I'd have WAY more friends if I was more outgoing. It's just really hard for me. Can I have advice on how to become more outgoing... and what I should do? Thanks.

-Hopeful (link)
Set a goal for yourself and stick to it.
Say today I am going to talk to 'name'. Then do it. Even if you only say hi. The next day add something more. Until you can talk with them withouot a problem. Then move on to someone or something else. Hope it works for you. :)


I have a close friend who I usually get on well with. However, yesterday evening he told me that he is homophobic because he believes homosexual people mess up the whole cycle of life and they are selfish. I told him that people have the right to be who they want to be but he disagreed. Eventually I said that we could just forget it and agree to disagree but he wouldn't leave it. I told him I didn't want homosexual friends and refused to speak to him. I badly want to be his friend but he refuses to just forget our disagreement and not talk about it again. He just keeps saying that he is right and wont accept that it is a matter of opinion. I don't want to lose him as a friend, what should I do? (link)
You are forgiven! You are right. He is wrong. But, you'll probably never convince him of that. I wouldn't bring the subject up again. If HE does, change the subject and just don't argue with him. If all else fails just walk away. Could be he just likes to argue. Let him argue with someone else! :)


Okay...I have alot of friends. But, there is this boy that i have been friends with since like forever. But whenever he has a gf we dont talk at all. it's like we dont even know each other. If i talk to him, or call him his gf will think i'm stocking him or i like him. Someone help me....What should I do? If someone could help that would be great. Thanx (link)
I think your guy friend needs to let girlfriends know that the two of you are friends. No reason why you can't be just because he has a girlfriend. If the girls don't trust him than he shouldn't want them anyway. Go talk to him. You are doing nothing wrong, so don't let them make you feel guilty. If he is the one being standoffish, talk to him and find out why. Tell him he needs to date girls with a little more confidence! :)


I have a friend i call a best friend. She doesnt feel like a best friend to me. Its hard to be friendz with her n stuff becuz shes kind of spreading my lil secrets like how i talk about ppls behind their bak, n mi favs. I hate that but shes a litto bit powerful than me and im only a weak person. Iuno wat to do... (link)
I would find someone else to hang out with myself. If you want to remain friends with her...don't tell her anything important. Nothing worse than having someone not keep a confindence. :)


ok, there's this girl, i'm not really 'friends' with her but i act like it because she is shy and not a lot of people can stand how shy she is...anyways, at lunch yesterday her chicken sandwich wasnt cooked properly and she started telling me to bring it up for her. so i said 'no, it's yours, i'm eating my lunch, you gotta do some things on your own' was i right? because she always wants someone to do things for her....like take out her trash go to the bathroom with her...i'm sick of her being so dependent on others. (link)
I think you were absolutley right.Stick to your guns and make her do thing's on her own. The more you do the more she will expect you to do. :)


well see i go camping with my grandparents.. and i really wanna bring my boyfriend along one time but its kinda the time i get to spend with my grandmother.. how do u think i could ask her to bring him? (link)
You just ask. She may not agree to it though. If she doesn't don't get upset. :)


Ok first of all...this is really long but please read it because i really want some help. My dad has seemed to be a lot more meaner all of a sudden. Well hes always been mean sometimes but I mean hes just started to become physicaly mean. I was downstairs before because I was checking his email because a friend of mines mom was emailing him. So, I kept going down there to check it. (while he was on the phone down there) He started to get really annoyed and started yelling (like almost silently so of course the person on the phone couldnt hear him) and he just freaked out. He got off the phone with the person..and I walked passed him because I was going to go upstairs. He grabbed my arm and goes Whats your problem? And I said you! And hes like why? And I said nothing and attempted to go back upstairs. But he gripped me harder and it hurt because it was like squeezing my skin together and burning. Then he like grabbed my whole body and was pulling me towards him saying come onnn give me a hugg..Aliciaaa what is wrong. And he just wouldnt let me go upstairs. I was like uhh what the heck..whats so bad of me wanting to go upstairs? But yeah he just kept gripping onto me. And yeah I was of course trying to fight back and was quietly screaming. When I went upstairs my mom goes..what was going on down there? And I said dad wouldnt let me go..and he wouldnt let me go upstairs. She goes pff yeah right uh huh. And I was like he did!! didnt you hear me yelling?? He was gripping onto my arms. And she just kept saying riight im sure. And just now we were eating dinner in the living room and his business phone rang. He went and picked it up and goes..blah blah blah..then goes to go turn down the volume on the tv. And I go ooohh my goooshh..now we cant even eat dinner without you having to be involved with your business? (he is wayyy overly obsessed and its all he cares about..and no matter where we are he will always talk about it) He didnt answer me and gave the phone to my mom. Then he came over to me and did his little silent yelling thing and goes..you shut the h*ll up! And I go oh my gosh im just trying to eat dinner. And he just kept telling me to shut up. Then for some STUPID reason he grabbed my plate and took it out to the kitchen. I go oh my gosh what are you doing?? Now I cant even eat?!? He came back out to me and grabbed my arm tightly and it burned again and he pulled me out to the kitchen. He goes you eat this out here. Then I tried to leave the kitchen because I was going to go up to my room..but he wouldnt let me and just kept pushing me back. Then I finally went up to my room and slammed the door and locked it. He came up and got it unlocked and came in and goes..what the h*ll do you think your doing? Shes trying to talk on the phone and all your doing is yelling. I was like oh my gosh you were the one who was yelling and who started it. you didnt havvve to answer the phone..and even when were eating dinner! and hes like bulls**t blah blah blah. Then I kept saying..get out of my room! And I pushed him out. Now he keeps coming back up here and asking..did I leave the remote in here? and I go no...and he just stood there and then left. Then he came back up and was like it has to be in here...and then he searched all over. It was stupid because we both know he didnt bring it up here..and I was just like uhh what the heck?? He just seems to like to start fights and likes to keep bringing it back up. My mom doesnt believe what I say..mostly because I think she would be too scared to say anything to him. So, she just pretends to not believe it and doesnt do anything about it. He is not a alcoholic. He just gets mad easy and for stupid things. Do you think hes becoming abusive? What should I do?? (link)
I don't think he is. I think if you had stopped fighting him and answered his questions it wouldn't have hurt so much.

It could be that he is having business problems.Since that keeps a roof over your head and food on your plate It could be causing him a lot of stress. Especially if things aren't going well.

I think you need to try and talk calmly to him and not talk back to much. I know this is really hard for teenagers to do but try your best. Things will improve if you do. :)


I ADORE MY MOTHER! and i feel a little bit bad about writing this, but i think i should because i dont noe what to do anymore. let me begin... i go to an all girls school, and towards the end of last year and over the summer was when i really started meeting guys. so, the first times she would sit right next me and watch what i was saying. and she still duz that. she doesnt sit by me when im on the phone anymore, but this summer i was on the phone w/ my first love, she would sit there and listen to everything we said. but, she still sits by me when i'm online and i dont noe what to do. cuz, now its beginning 2 feel like a security to hav her there because i dont noe what to say to guys. and when im on the phone, i do! and she updates my profile and goes to places for quotes and puts them in my profile while im @ school and makes me invisible. and i dont even like the quotes sometimes. i've tried talking to her. and ive tried to get other people to talk 2 her... like my aunt, and a friend of mine. and when i tell her, "im gonna tell tia," she goes, i'm not afraid of ur aunt. and she duznt listen to my friend either! i dont noe what to do anymore. when i talk 2 her, she says she'll stop and then she doesn't. i cant change my passwords b/c she'll get mad. but, she's a single mom and i'm her only child. i understand that we're close, like best friends, but i'm 14 years old and i need a little privacy
(link)
Your mom is concerned for your saftey on the internet. There are lot's of weirdo's out there!
So, I do understand what she's doing to an extent...you probably do too.

I think you need to tell her (again) that you realise the dangers. Let her know that she has raised you to do right and that you will not do anything stupid. You will talk to your friends only. Tell her that while you appreciate her thinking of you enough to update your stuff, that you want to do it yourself from now on. Tell her if she does it again that you will change your password and not give it to her.Let her know that you could easily go to library or school and play on internet if that's what you were up to, which you are not. Tell her you would like her to trust enough in her upbringing of you to give you a little freedom. Good luck :)


i like this guy and he is sweet, attractive, and is so nice. He's funny and tall. One problem, got a girlfriend. He is so sweet tho and he pays more attention to me then his gf even tho i'm only his friend. Too bad his gf is my friend but not a really good one. He always flirts with me and i flirt back but is this ok? (link)
Flirtting is okay. So long as he has a girlfriend though I wouldn't take it further. It wouldn't be fair to her or you. If they break up though...talk to him. :)


ok...i went out with this guy for a while on and off then finally we just stopped going out...then one of my friends went out wit him and i wasnt that comfortable at first but then got used to it but still thoguht about him..they broke up for a couple days and i started liking him again..but they got back together..and i still have feelings for him...whut should i do!? (link)
Wait it out. They must be pretty serious if they are back together again. See if you can find someone else. If you can't and he becomes available again, then talk to him about your feelings. :)


well, some stuff just happened and my crush asked me out. so we're gonna try the whole dating thing.
before, we went out for a day but he broke up with me. he told that it was cause he wasnt sure what i wanted out of the relationship and was worried about how to handle things.
anywho, now he told me he wants something "more" and not like..an occasional see him at school and hug in halllways. so now i'm pondering. the next time i see him and spend time with him should i make the first move or wait for him to?
i'm afraid if i wait he might break up with me again, but if i don't and kiss him or something, he might take it as i'm too eager and such.
so, should i be the one to make the first move? (link)
He is the one who asked for something more. I think you should let him make the first move. If he breaks up with you again then it probably wouoldn't have worked out anyway. :)


I am a 46-year-old male dating a 34-year-old girl. She has a very peculiar fetish. She enjoys putting and keeping her hand over my mouth as a gag. She loves the way it looks and sounds, and gagging me into muffled speech gives her a sense of dominant power and control. At first, I really didn't mind. Lisa has very nice hands--pretty, soft, sweet-scented. Her handgags are an erotic, intimate way for us to enhance our relationship. As she started to insist on handgags that last longer than an hour, I knew I was in trouble.

But lately, she has decided she really enjoys doing this in public. Lisa says she wants people to see her hand over my mouth. She loves catching me off guard by covering my mouth whenever I am speaking to another person. Lisa loves hearing my muffled speech and sees this as very humorous, so she does it at every opportunity. But she won't take her hand away! And she won't allow me to remove her hand. Lisa insists on doing things like keeping my mouth covered during an entire movie or concert! Or handgagging me when I try to order a meal in a restaurant. Lisa has done this to me in church, in banks, at school, and in stores. I have tried to ask her not to do it in public because it is embarrassing. But she says she cannot stop and is doing it all the more and gagging me all the longer. I love Lisa and don't want to fight over this. How can I reason with Lisa to do this in private when she really wants to do it in public so badly? Is there a compromise to make both of us happy? How can I handle this situation? (link)
I think you need to have her seek some professional help. Really, she is out of control.

It's embarrassing for you, and no offense to her intended, but probably makes her look pretty stupid. She needs help getting this fetish under control. She's taking it way to far. Good luck :)


lately, ive been thinking a lot about my first love. thes this other boy and we're pretty into eachother, but i havnt been able to stop thinking about my first love lately. its gonna be a year now that met and we fell in love over the summer. is this normal? is it just cuz he was my first love? or do i still have feelings 4 him? i really like this new guy. its just that i've been thinking about the first one. maybe, its b/c he represents a happy time in my life or hes very special to me or something. i dunno. do i still like him in a way?
(link)
You will always like him in a way! It's natural.

It's almost summer. You're thinking about the last happy summer! If you really like the new guy, give him a chance. You will make new happy memories with him (hopefully). :)


there is this girl named Courtney and she as a crush on my boyfriend. Well he has track with her and sits with her at lunch sometimes. Well she knows me and him are going out and she flirted with him right infront of me yesterday and then has the nerve to talk shit about me and give me dirty looks! Well me and her got into it but it was only words being said. My boyfriend yelled at me for yelling at her! He said that if I hit her at all that me and him are done! We I don't know what I should do.. its complicated! Please help!

.: Miss Confused :. (link)
He is evidently friends with Courtney. His reaction is why I always advise not to confront the other girl. Make him do it if you have a problem. Becauase they always seem to be the ones to get the sympathy!

You need to ask your boyfriend exactly what This other girl means to him. If he say's nothing, then you'll just have to trust him. Keep away from her as much as possible because she will probably try and bait you now. Good luck :)


ok, i have a really good friend of another race that i had no doubt at all was gay. he was always checking out other guys and stuff so of course..duh, i thot he way gay. so we were really good friends and then all of a sudden he told me the DAY BEFORE april fools that he had had a really bad crush on me since the beguinning of last year. k, it TOTALLY threw me by suprise b/c i thot he was GAY!! so ne ways i though he was joking cos the next day was april fools but he wasn't kidding at all!!! so he kept stalking me and wouldn't leave me alone. he would always be like "have you though about it yet, you're taking FOREVER!!" but my mom just got home from the hospital from a really stressful and long-recovery surgery and she JUST now started walking. so i've been distracted obviously with my mom. so ne ways i was doing this filming project for school and he was stalking me the entire time. we were filming and he'd just be standing there looking around doing nothing, watching what we were doing when we all asked him to leave like 30 minutes ago, but he wouldn't leave. so finally we finished the project and i needed to change out of this crazy costume i was in so i told him "hey, i need to change into my regular clothes." an he just tood there starring at me, then he goes "well then?" like i was ACCTUALLY going to do it in front of him! so i told him he needed to go outside and he was all pissy about it. so then while i was changing i saw him STARRING AT ME THROUGH THE WINDOW WHILE I WAS CHANGING MY TOP!! oh my gosh it was so horrible! i felt so violated! and he's still been stalking me and saying "hey, how's your day?" to me in the hallway like we're going out even though it should be pretty clear to him that we're NOT!! so how do i tell this guy to get lost and leave me alone? i don't want to hurt his feelings, but then again he was starring at me while i was changing so i kind of do. ne suggestions? what should i say? i rate high (link)
Some people can't take a hint. You just have to come right out and tell him. I am not intrested in you now or ever. I don't like hurting yur feelings but stop following me around or I will call the cops/dad/teacher. Good luck. :)


What do you do if you find yourself more and more each day, liking a guy who does not believe in God? I am a christian and I have my morals, standards and beliefs and he doesn't meet my number one standard which is believeing in God and having a relationship with him but, on the other hand, I am so drawn to him I can't help it.He's a really great guy but should we just stay friends and nothing more? (link)
If your convictions are that strong then I'm sorry to say that friendship is as far as Id take the relationship.

He could change, but most likely will not. Doesn't make him a bad guy, just not one that you could hope to have a long term relationship with. Be friends though. Consider that the draw. :)


I don't know why but I am scared of love, but I want it so bad. I am 19 and have still never had a boyfriend or even a first kiss because I want my first kiss to be special. I am considered an attractive girl and guys like me and I like them too but I won't let anything happen because I personally feel like I don't carry enough self-confidence which my friends get angry about. I think I worry about life in general and I'm scared that I'll just end up alone forever. What should I do? (link)
I think you need to get out there and start living! Don't let worry keep you from having fun. Life is much to short for that. You will get hurt in relationships but you will also make lifelong friends. If it truly causes you this much anxiety I think you need to seek some professional help. You really have to get past this. Good luck. :)




read advice get advice make favorite read feedback advicenators

<<< Previous Advice Column
Next Advice Column >>>

eXTReMe Tracker