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Meet Melissa and Katie...

our Mother and Daughter advice team and ask them all your questions to get real advice in their own words! They are not trained professionals, so please direct any mental health questions to the appropriate sources listed to the right.

Melissa and Katie's answers will be posted once a week! We wish we could answer ALL your questions, but Melissa and Katie are busy answering as many as they can. If you do not see your questions answered, it's because it's similar to another Q&A already posted!

Melissa and her daughter Kate, serve as the only mother/daughter online relationship advice column for adults and teens in the USA.  Melissa’s background gives the column its voice of maturity and reason,  and Katie’s advice has its own distinctly different tone—often more clever with a youthful perspective.  Melissa and Katie have both been interviewed for media on their column discussing the joys and challenges of a mom-daughter working relationship.

  

 

 


Life in general
question :
im not sure what this goes in but im always told how skinny and pretty i am and i hate it!!!!!! everyone always says how i get all the hott guys... but their nothing but trouble and i hate them all now!!!! im soooo sick and tired of guys asking me out and girls telling me i pretty and skinny
question :
Hi Katie/Melissa. =]
well this may be long and i am sorry if its too long but here goes...
-my sister, lets call her caitlin, is always getting me angry. she does these things on purpose it seems just to anger me and i try to ignore it but when i have had enough i just completely blow. also, she knows about this website and is always trying to figure out what i ask about and she cannot mind her own buisness wich drives me crazy!
-and then there is dad. caitlin goes to counseling for anger problems and it seems that dad doesnt pay any attension to me. when her and i are fighting i am always in trouble and not her or she can something HORRIBLE and get sent to her room as i would say that and be grounded for a week. i dont like to have heart-to-heart conversations because it makes me uncomfortable and if i try to talk to him he gets so friggen pissy and ignores me!
- my mom and other sister are fine and my other sister and i are nearly best friends. she is also like 7yrs older then me as... caitlin iss like 2yrs older than me. my mom is fine as long as she is in a good mood but i really dont know what to do! please help me.
question :
My friend is going down the wrong path.She shes hanging out with the wrong friends.shes starting to wear TOO much make up, and wearing clothes that are TOO tight and reveling.Shes had like gazillion in the past month!
She lost her virginity(without protection) to an older guy who doesn't even respect her:( and get this shes only twelve!!!she thinks that its no big deal,because her friends that are younger do worst stuff then her!shes giving guys handjobs and blowjobs.I tell her if she keeps it up , nobody is going to respect her!but she just thinks its funny.She won't listen to anything i tell her!!Please Help Me get my friend Back!!!!
question :
well i have had a very hard time making friends. i have lived in the same house my entire life-same school- EVERYTHING! i just got to middle school and no one talks to me. even people who dont know me hate me. its really depressing and i try to hide. i have even been to the school conselor because of a few minor fights. i am not ugly, not fat, not mean unless someone messes with me/my friends. i need help on making friends. are these people who i have known for a very long time just getting boring from being near me my entire life or is something wrong with my personality? i am desperate for my sisters to stop telling me i have no friends. could you PLEASE help me? CARLY--
question :
Recently, i've been feeling like life is pointless. I feel like there's a hole in my heart; something missing in my life. I'm not Emo, but i have thought about it. I cry all the time. I think it's mostly about my parents and my friends. My parents make seriously strict rules, and i always feel like breaking them, even though i can't. My friends are lying to me and sneaking off to do things without me. I need some advice please!
question :
ok so im a 13 year old homeschooler and i want to go to school. i know almost everybody that goes to school wants it to end but i kinda want to go, theres a few things why: 1- cuz thats where everyone meets there friends and me i have 2 friends and I am older than both of them. 2- cuz i feel like i'm missing out on something like dances and what about prom theres no prom for any homeschooler is there? 3- i want to be normal i want to be like any other teenager. i feel alone and i can't go up to my mom or dad and say i want to go to school it seems like it would be no problem but i think it would be. ok the other thing is im scared of going to school, i dont know what happends in school so i dont know what would happen to me would i be picked on? would i even make friends? so plz help me!!!
question :
ok well my sister she is just always being sooo meant to me even if i dont say anything or do anything to do and it makes me feel terrible cuz i have a feeling a did something but i really didnt its like she is just trying to show off in front of her friends cuz she is mostly mean to me when her friends r over the same thing with my older sis she is always showing off in front off her boyfriend and its always aggrivating me... also my sisters r always hanging out the most and excluding me and idk whts wrong with me cuz if they r nicer to me and treat me like a real sis then i would start being nicer and what do u expect like seriously im only 13 years old... ugghhhh soo please help me deal with my problems...
question :
This is a long one...

A couple weeks ago my best friend Megan went up north for Thanksgiving. While she was up there, her friend Molly (me and her DONT get along at all) sent me a horrible and random myspace message saying "your a skank fu*ker who looks like a dog sh*t on her head" and some other things that were EXTREMELY rude and random. I haven't spoken to Molly for 3 months and she just randomly picked this fight. So, I cused her out back, proud of myself for standing up for myself. But her message got me so mad, I was shaking and crying. Then I went to bed and when I woke up another message from her. And from there on, our messages back and forth only got worse because she brought Megan into the entire situation saying that Megan hates me and laughs at my fat ass behind my back and other stupid and fake things. And this was only over a weekend. On Sunday, Megan came home from up north, I told her and showed her the ENTIRE mail that was sent back and forth. Both Megan's parents read it and, although they didn't like the swearing between 2 teenage girls, they thought I did the semi- right thing to stand up for myself and not let her get into my head. But then on Monday morning before school, I got 1 last message from her. And it had my BIGGEST secret in the entire world in it from Molly. I freaked out. I couldn't cry or scream. I didn't know what to do. Only Megan, Elora & my guidance counselour at my school know the secret. But it turns out, 3 months back when Megan called me while sleeping over at Molly's (I told her the secret over the phone) Molly listened in! She knows every single detail and said she'd ruin me when she had the chance. And even though it's all done and over with, Molly still knows my secret and I still have to live in fear with it getting out. But a couple days ago, Megan told me that Molly and her boyfriend broke up. That made me really happy because she finally felt the torture I was going through with her. But even though it made me feel great then, I'm still scared that she'll tell my secret to people who know my parents. And my secret isnt that I did something illegal or had sex or dangerous. It's just bad enough to get me put in therapy, or how my parents would take it. Any advice on how to let this whole Molly thing go?
Relationships
question :
ok... so theres this boy, lets call him 'josh'. we broke up about 6 months and i JUST got over him. now i like his brother ALOT and i dont know what i should do! i also just found out that 'josh' still likes me but he was SO shy and his bro kissed me and we are not even going out which proves his 'unshyness' what should i do!!?
question :
this is long.... so lets start i have this guy in my life i like him alot but he keeps cheating on me and its maken me mad!! i cant do this anymore i like him but he told this girl he doesnt know me and then he expects me to take him back like he never did anything and he'll sweet talk me and he tried going a little too far when he came to my house i dont know what to do we were fighting tonight cuz he said i changed in a bad stupid way and i said its cuz your maken me mad and then he said sorry and expected me to forgive him after all he said like seriously.... and were always off and on one day its over the next were back together he cant admit to these things i told him id rather you tell me the truth then lie to me id be less mad and alot of people think he is retarded and i do not know what to do i know this sounds confusing but please give me advice!!
question :
ok well wednesday my boyfriend nik whos 4 years older than me tried to get to the next level i feel bad because i didnt let him only for one reason he doesnt want ot use protection and i said just sit there and think about all the stuff that could happen and he said "you can't think sbout that stuff though" well im wondering what would he say if one of us got an std or hiv or i got pregnant!!he tried really hard to get there and got my pants and undies off only one of my shirts out of three but im not saying im not ready its just im really confuesd i dont want to talk to him about it or anyone else i dont alot of stuff happened that night and thats stuff that has changed our relationship in a goood way but its all so scary and i keep maken up things to why he cant come over and it makes me feel bad!! i just dont want to end up with a baby or a anything else how do i let him not get ther?!?!?!?! i PROMISE i would not do it with him without protection but what if just kind happens and i really really like this guy but i dont know anymore=-[
question :
hi,i have a question. they said i am smart, pretty girl but why does nobody ever court me or ask me out??!! are they afraid to ask me or to meet my family because they are strict?
question :
My parents are treating me like I'm 6. I'm 15 and finally have a real boyfriend. And ever since I told her and my dad, all they ask are [and in giggly tones] "So.. How's Spencer?" And it's like, can't you be serious. I really like this guy and I'm trying to have a TRUE relationship, for the first time, with my parents. No secrets. I'm in high school and I'm trying to mature. But they are making it like I'm in 1st grade and have a crush who I'm calling my boyfriend. And then, my mom is SO strict about my bedtime. The latest I want to go to bed [during the school week] is 11. I get up on my own anyways. I've tried talking to my mom about this but she said "We already agreed to 10. No later!" And she's done with the conversation. It's beyond annoying and not helpping my maturing.

And if it's not to much to ask, I have one other small thing about my boyfriend. I really like him and we've been close all year as friends [we started dating on March 31st] but I'm scared to go anywhere with him because I've never had my first kiss... What if he tries to kiss me? I'm not sure if I'm ready yet but then again, I dont want people knowing how old I am and am a kissing virgin. Any help?
Thanks so much =)
question :
ok so me and this guy lets call him D,went out for 9 months but then we broke up well I still really really liked him. apparently he still liked me because 2 weeks later he wanted a 2nd chance and i said ok. well it wasn't really working out so we broke up. yes again.well it's been about 4 months since then. for about a month he was a real BUTHOLE to me. Talking bad about me and my brother then he told me he was sorry for being a buthole and i was like its ok.
so we have been really good friends since then and i still like him and he still likes me. there is of course a catch. my mom can't stand him and he can't have a girlfriend during baseball season.what am i suppose to do???am i suppose to wait till baseball is over and hope he asks me out then??? but then my mom will be mad.supposedly he's gone behind his parents back and gone out with me anyways. if he does should i say yes???would that be bad???or should i just forget about him and move on???HELPPPPP PLEASEEE!!!!

question :
how do you know your relationship is ready for the next level? i've known this guy for lets see 9 months he barley found out i like him two months ago and we have dated numerous times since and he's ready to go you know where.... im sooooo scared because he's not a virgin anymore and he knows i am. i'm not sure what he expects to see cause i'm not fat but i'm not skinny either and i'm not going to try to change the way i look for a guy but still... will it hurt really bad??? lol i'm not all that good with pain ask the guy that's teaching me how to skate board.. its kinda against my religion but i love him a lot<3 ok my main questions are will it hurt?? how do you know your relationship is ready for the next level?? and will he care what i look like??
question :
hello, im 22 yrs old and im very insecure around my b/f we are so much in love and he is the love of my life , ive known him ever since elementary school BUT started talking almost 3 years ago. ( march 2006) but let me get to why im insecure. at first his intentions werent to like me or fall for me his intentions were to use me for money . i like to spoil my man/bf i dont know why but i was brought up by not accepting things by men so i rarley do but when it comes to me buying things for men i do it without a questions. ( back to why im insecure) he told me he was using me for money and that he didnt mean to fall for me because he had never dated a girl like me . im obese wear size 24. im young and obese but i get a lot of you would be so gorgeous if you were skinny. well back to me being insecure ever since he told me he was using me i had never felt so low and put myself down. he hurt me so bad back when i found this- but now we are very in love and i just cant get over that and im still insecure. we didnt have sex until a yr later in 03/2007 and now we cant stop lol but im still insecure having lights off and he doesnt mind them on-- i need help of how to deal with this. i had never been insecure until i met him- and only around him.
question :
ok i have this boyfriend and he is older than me,i really like him but my friends dont approve of his age and the other day we were texting and we were playing 20 questions i asked him how far in our relationship did he want to get and he said all depends on how far you"ll let me and i said well it depends on how far you want to get so tell me and i"ll tell you if thats a yes or no i thought he was going to say making out i get a text back and it says "i want to get all the way with you" i was so shocked i didnt know what to say i told him i dont know but i asked him why and he said "i love you and i want to show it" i said"it doesnt take haing sex to show me you love me it takes you telling me and you caring" and he said "o" i said thats not the only reason and he said "ok its not just that i'm not a virgin anymore and i need to and i'm a guy" and i said "so it would be like using me" and he said "no i told you the first reason" and i said no cuz i'm not going to lose it now and i am not sure i want to anytime soon he said he was cool with that the next day he pretty much begged me and i almost said yes when i thought about how many things could happen..... five days later the subject came up again and i said yes!!! i didnt want to but i thought it would make him happy and then i said i was scared and he made me feel better a week later i found out he was cheating on me and then he broke up with me cause my ex bestfriend told me that he said i shouldve believed him yesterday we were texting and i asked him if he still loved me and he had told me no matter what he would always love me and he said "nope" and we were at school at lunch recess and i started crying my question is was he just wanting some sex or was it a real relationship? and can a person say they dont love you after they said they did?
question :
Hi, okay so..im into this 1 really cute guy at my school.I already know he's physically attracted to me,because he said i was good looking,over myspace.
I always try to walk by him even if i have to walk all over campus when my next classes are only a few yard away lol.sometimes he looks at me and smiles and other times he doesn't even notice me walking by.the other day at lunch i sat kind of in the same area as him. he smiled over at me a couple of times.then he walked by me smiled i smiled and put my hand up and said hi he just nodded his head also greeting me.then when he walked by me again this time really close to me!he almost triped.it was so cute!it reminded me of myself,
cuz i always try to walk by him.he most already know im into him!because i turn as red as a tomato when i look/smile at him.my friends all make fun of me.he seems shy.i think he might be into me,so y doesn't he do anything about it?!?i don't just want to go up to him and make the first move..i barely even talk to him.what should i do?im getting tired of this, me being all smug about him and he not doing anything.i really like him
question :
ok... so i just found out that my boyfriend, that i really did love, is cheating on me. how do i approach him with the subject? what do i say and how should i say it? he is cheating on me with one of my friends by the way.
Health
question :
Hey Melissa & Katie,

My friend just recently got diagnosed with bone cancer. It is slowly spreading towards her lungs. It's seriously breaking my heart. I was at my friends house yesterday and, since it was her birthday but she was in the hospital, we called her and sang her happy birthday. But after we hung up I nearly began crying because she sounded so sick. She's only 15 years old and it breaks my heart that she has to go through all this at such a young age. I'm praying as hard as I can she doesnt die. She began kemo and the doctors said they caught it early enough where its a 70% chance of survival. Please, I need some advice.
question :
ok i had this 'discharge' which i was absolutly not happy with cuz it was gross and lately it had not been white but a red-ish color and there as been a little bit more of it than usual. i don't know if it is or if it's a sign of my period but i would really like to know. thank you!
question :
HEY I AM KRISTEN
I AM ATHLETIC. BUT MY UPPER LEGS R KINDDA CHUBBY, BUT THE REST OF MY BODY IS NOT CHUBBY!!!! WUT CAN I DO!!!!!

IM 12 AND WEIGH 103!!
question :
hi katie and melissa (:
so i've been fairly skinny since i was a kid, taking after my dad's side of the family. i'm a really picky eater, and i tend to go after sweets and junk food. lately i've noticed that my hip bones are gone and i have a small layer of fat over it. when i wear jeans that fit, my fat still sticks out. i have tried dieting, and exercising, but nothing is working. i'm very self conscience already, and i have no confidence. i don't know what else to do about this, do you two know any idea how i can lose weight and still be healthy? i'm 15 years old and i weigh around 125.
thank you(:
question :
ok i got my period like in june (that was my first time) and now its january and i havent had it scince HELP!!!
question :
ok hi...
ummm whenever i use the bathroom or take a shower or something like that there is something, i dont know what but something. it is a sort of creamy white stuff on my underwear, well it is creamy but i guess it dries or something. anyway this has been happening for a very long time and i am afraid to ask my mother. could you tell me what it is?
question :
Hi
Okay well i think i might have some sort of bipolar or anxiety disorder. Some days i'll be full of energy talking and talking like crazy i talk fast very fast.It's pretty annoying and i'll be pretty excited.
And then some days I'll be really really depressed.Like there's nothing right about my life and i'll look at everything negatively. It affects my daily activities. i don't want to keep feeling like this.I'll be extremely insecure.I swear it's not even funny.I feel horrible. my anxiety is usually due to a boy. like i'll be waiting for something to happen..i'm not sure how to explain it really but yeah..
and well i don't want to tell my parents about how i'am feeling. Their gonna take me to a doctor and overreact or they'll think im crazy and won't want to listen to any of my "nonsense"
What should i do?
question :
Hi I just want to know if you started your period can you wear a tampon even if you have'nt had sex before?
World
question :
Why do people make such a big deal about Obama being shirtless?

IMPORTANT NOTE: We take your questions VERY seriously and want to be sure you get the BEST ADVICE by qualified trained professionals in these fields. Melissa and Katie are NOT trained professionals in mental health or suicide prevention! If you should require answers about mental health or need immmediate support, please call the numbers below right away. These calls are FREE & CONFIDENTIAL.


If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of SUICIDE SEEK IMMEDIATE HELP WITH TRAINED PROFESSIONALS!!!!!

CALL 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
24 HOURS A DAY to speak with a mental health expert.

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/


If you or anyone you know is struggling with MENTAL ILLNESS or has QUESTIONS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS:

CALL 1-800-543-3638
24 HOURS A DAY to speak with a mental health expert.

http://www.800lifenet.org/cms/


TO FIND OUT ABOUT RESPECT & DATING

http://www.loveisrespect.org/