Member Since: June 7, 2012
Answers: 4
Last Update: June 9, 2012
Visitors: 1153
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Hello Advicenators! It's been an extremely long time since I've been on this website, I'm so glad it's still running. You guys are awesome.
I came here because I was unsure who to talk to about this. Before I moved away to college, I babysat for this little girl, we'll call her Lauren, for a year. I would drive her to her dance classes and take her home, cook her dinner, and just hang around with her. Right before I was suppose to leave for college, something happened with her family. Her parents got a divorce, and then a couple weeks later, her father went to jail. The mother told me not to mention it to Lauren so it wouldn't upset her. The father got out on bail. And then, I went off to college.
I've been back on summer break (I'm 19 years old) and today was my first time babysitting for Lauren again. When I picked her up from school, I felt like I was going to break her in half when I hugged her. She looks extremely skinny. I could see her knee bones through her legs, and her arms were so tiny. I immediately became worried. This girl is 10 years old. Her parents are in the middle of a custody battle according to her mother, and Lauren told me that her cat just ran away a couple weeks ago. Lauren now lives with her mother and her two older brothers. She also is an avid dancer. She has been dancing since she was 4 years old and takes dance classes every day.
I'm nervous for Lauren because there are a lot of things in her life that could influence an eating disorder, such as how intense of a dancer she is, her pet running away, and what her parents are going through. I feel like I'm in a position that could help her because a) I have known her for such a long time and b) am also a dancer. I really want to help her but I am unsure of what to do.
Thank you for reading this long story. I would love some help from you advicenators!
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Just be there for her, make her feel appreciated so she can open up to you (in case she is holding something inside of her). Be a friend and a big sister to her, that you are there to listen to her. She may need somebody that would make her feel loved, understood and not judgmental of her, somebody that truly cares (and maybe right now she don't feel she's getting all of that from her family). You could be the family she can count on, or her hero...so just be there for her...she will love you and open up to you.
She may be confused at this time and she needs a hero and that could be you. Enjoy each others friendship.
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Rating: 5
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Thank you for this wonderful advice, you're the only one that actually answered my question instead of telling me that I was wrong.
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