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Did you ever wake up and wonder when your life became a soap opera? A bizzare mixture between 'Dawson's Creek' and 'Days of our Lives'?



I know I've had that feeling - that it's just all too dramatic and ridiculous, and wouldn't it be nice to go and under a nicely-furnished rock for a while? So, whilst I do not promise or claim to be an expert on how teenage boys minds work or how you can uncode your best friend's baffling behaviour, I'll always attempt to empathise and offer some honest words of advice.



I am 21, with a fairly dysfunctional life as a artsy student type. I've recently graduated with a degree in Philosophy, and am spending time working in the law before returning to university for further study. I still don't know what I want to do with my life, but I like where I am at the moment. I like shoes, bad television, chocolate cheescake and pretty things.



I am very busy at the moment, attempting to fund my life as a postgraduate (that's grad school to the Americans). I do still stop by quite a lot to help out with the admin stuff, but my column is pretty lame and inactive. Boo-hiss. I will however still endeavour to answer any questions that are sent my way, so feel free to send questions to my inbox.





Frequently Asked Questions


Actually, I made them up. But they are questions that I've seen more than once around this site (and, indeed, in the real world), and so have created general responses to them, linked below. It's a little sparse at the moment, but I'll be adding to the list as I think of more questions (and, er, answers to them).



Getting back together with an ex



Difficulty preparing for exams

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hailebop





Gender: Female
Location: England
Occupation: Student
Age: 21
Member Since: December 30, 2003
Answers: 455
Last Update: June 7, 2009
Visitors: 55166


Advicenators.com



My daughter is 15 months old. She's off her bottle now, but I can't seem to get her off of her pacifier. Does anyone have ideas to get her off her pacifier?

I wouldn't mind her keeping it, except that it is starting to pull her teeth forward.


It can be very difficult to get your child to give up their pacifier, so take things slowly. If you suddenly remove it, then she'll probably really fight you for it until you cave in, which makes it much harder for you to take it away for good the next time you try. Instead, try doing it slowly. Explain to your daughter that you think she's old enough to be giving up the pacifier. Then let her have it only when she's trying to sleep, and the only when you think she particuarly needs it.

If it's possible, encourage your daughter to want to give up. If she see's being without her pacifier as a grown up thing, she'll be more willing to co-operate, although obviously young children do not always have this willpower, this can be a powerful technique. When my half-sister was giving up when she was about 2 years old, she finally choose to throw away her finally pacifier herself. If you can convince your daughter that this is something that's good for her and she wants to, then the whole process becomes easier. For this reason, it can be easier waiting until the child is a little older and easier to reason with, but it depends on the child. There will be tough nights when she has difficulty settling, but persistance will pay off. Good luck!

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thank you
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