ADVICE SITE FOR TEENS

If you hang out with a friend who talks a lot and is very friendly to you, but they   have a hard time talking to other people because of their shyness, there are a few ways to help your shy friend make other friends.

First of all, we all need friends and you are a good friend for wanting to help your shy pal.

ASK QUESTIONS  - You have probably invited your shy friend to go someplace with you and other people. If so, you may have noticed that although shy people will often go someplace with a group of people, they may not talk very much – - if at all.  The best thing you can do in this situation is to ask shy friends, in front of a group of friends, direct questions that do not have a simple “yes” or “no” answer, such as “How did you like the movie?” or “What are you going to order for lunch?” When other people hear your friend speaking, they will understand why you two are friends — because your shy friend is a great person!

COMMON GROUND – Nothing gets two people talking more than finding out that they have something in common. If you know that your shy friend has a hobby or wants to be a veterinarian someday, for example, mention it to another friend in your group that has the same interest — your shy friend may loosen up when they start talking to somebody with whom they have common interests.

SOCIAL MEDIA – Facebook, Skype, texting and Twitter are good ways for your shy friend to interact with other people. Include friends that are shy in your social media group so that other people can get to know them better — and your friend can get to know them better too!

INTRODUCTIONS – Always take a moment to introduce shy folks by name to others when it is appropriate as a lot of shy people are too embarrassed to speak up and tell other people their name.

CLASSES AND FUN STUFF – Lastly, ask your shy friend to take an after-school class with you, join a team together or go to a local health club to work out together. Bit by bit, your shy friend will find that they have lots of new acquaintances — all thanks to you, a really good friend!

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If you want to own a “Smart Phone” such as an Apple® I-Phone or ANY other type of  ”smart phone”  you must pay a monthly  fee of about $35 PER MONTH (in 2012) to a cellphone carrier such as Verizon, Sprint,  AT&T, etc. so that your I-Phone can connect to the Internet.

Only cells phones that are able to connect to the Internet are called “smart phones” and the only way to connect a smart phone to the Internet is by paying for Internet service.

Lots of people would like to own an I-Phone or other type of smart phone so that they can chat on Facebook with their friends, surf the web or look at videos on You Tube.

However, if you do not have money to buy a smart phone and pay for Internet service, try these ideas:

1. Ask a parent if they will add you to their cellphone contract plan when it is time for them to re-sign a new contract. It is easier for someone to add you to their cellphone plan when their contract time is about to be over, so parents may do it if you ask at the right time –
2. Request that you be added to another person’s contract, such as your parents’, for a  birthday present.
3. Negotiate which smart phone you would like to have by settling for one with less GB or find a deal on a smart phone that is slightly older as they usually cost less than the latest new phone on the market.
4. Make a deal to do chores around the house or work on a project to help pay for the monthly Internet fee.
5. Ask parents or caregivers if the Internet fee can be your “allowance” each month and explain that the deal you are offering is less than $10 per week.
6. Get a job and save money to buy a phone and pay the monthly fees yourself — Neighborhood babysitting jobs are the best deal around for teens to make money  quickly and easily.

Lastly, don’t count on parents to carry the slack if you can’t make your I-Phone or smart phone payment. After all, a deal is a deal.

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Cell phone use in the United States is epidemic, especially among teenagers.

What else would you call it when several teens are sitting around a table during lunch on a weekend and every single one of them is texting on their cell phone? Not just an epidemic – - an addiction.

Many teens cannot or will not put down their cell phones, whether they are driving a car or walking through the mall.

The winner of  ”Most Annoying Place For Using a Cell Phone,” however, is inside a movie theater.

Despite friendly reminders on the big screen before  movie previews, tons of inconsiderate theater goers (not just teens) are being illuminated by neon lights from  cell phone screens as they text or receive messages from friends. Apparently, fresh news about where you are located just can’t wait.

Please turn off your cell phone and talk to me. Unless you are involved in a life-or-death situation, those texts, cell phone calls and emails can wait.

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WE HATE the words for acne such as zits and pimples. But it is really because of WHAT they are that we dislike them. Here are the best ways to handle the TOP THREE KINDS OF PIMPLES: Whiteheads, blackheads and pus-like zits.

1. FOR zits with white or yellowish pus. Okay, so you have a white zit that is basically an enlarged pore on your face and it is filled with white or yellowish fluid.

First Rule- To pop this type of zit, it should be large and look like it is a tightly packed pore to pop it successfully.

Second Rule-Wash your hands before squeezing ANY zit.

STEP ONE- Get two squares of toilet paper and place one on each side of the pimple.

STEP TWO- Place the inside part of each thumb on top the toilet paper squares with the pimple centered between thumbs.

STEP THREE- Push the inside part of your thumbs together in a quick motion to push the white stuff out of the zit.

NOTE: The white-yellowish liquid should come shooting out of the pore. A dot of blood or clear liquid may follow. DO NOT squeeze the zit a second time unless more white or yellowish liquid remains.

STEP FOUR- Wet a cotton ball with a skin antiseptic like Seabreeze or use a Clearasil-type cleansing pad and DAB the top of the zit, pressing down gently. DO NOT WIPE the zit spot – JUST DAB IT in a gentle motion two or three times.

STEP FIVE- Let the pore recover for a few hours. Some redness around the pimple will go away and the zit should look 90% better by the next day.

STEP SIX- Do not put a tan-colored acne lotion on the skin before going to bed, but a white-colored acne lotion will be fine.

2. About whiteheads; realize that whiteheads look like white bumps from the outside of the skin. If you squeeze them very hard, they will shoot out white-ish colored residue that is clogging that pore. Whiteheads, however can be hard to handle. TRY TO AVOID squeezing whiteheads unless they are larger than the size of a pin-head. Apply an acne gel twice a day and wash face with warm and soapy water with a fresh washcloth using a circular motion and whiteheads will go away in a few days.

3. Blackheads are annoying because they can be small or large but they are nothing but clogged pores. Squeeze a blackhead the way you would a white, yellowish pus zit but DO not squeeze small blackheads; just squeeze large ones. Give the pore a chance to clear up small blackheads with lots of facial cleansing. If the same pores keep getting blackheads, you are not cleaning your skin well enough. WASH your face TWICE A DAY AT LEAST TO PREVENT BLACKHEADS.

DO NOT SQUEEZE the same blackhead more than once or you will risk the chance of the pore becoming enlarged – and it could stay that way FOREVER (seriously.)

Lastly, try to get a FACIAL by a aesthetician every month to keep skin sparkling clean. It will cost you about $30-75 and is worth every penny!

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IT IS PROBABLY a good idea for teenagers to go to their FIRST concert WITH their parents or other adults. DON’T groan! It does not have to be a rock concert (although it CAN be) – -  it may be a calm music concert such as James Taylor or even an orchestra or Broadway play. You don’t even have to bring a friend – spend some time with the P’s, they’ll love it.

HERE IS WHY you should go to a first concert with your parents or adults: You will learn the ropes – - what a concert/show is all about. THEN, when you are old enough to drive – THAT is near the time when teens should be able to go to a concert by themselves or with friends. The exact age depends on the kind of kid you are. If you don’t do stupid things all the time and can be trusted, age 17 is the youngest age we recommend for going to a concert without adults.

HERE’S WHY:

• Parking. Parking at concerts gets crowded and can be tricky. Rarely is the cost of parking included in a concert ticket, so you may have to pay a parking lot to park your car at the concert. You have to get to the concert area early enough to find a good parking space – one where your car won’t get towed away, where it is a legal space to park.
• Safety. Like any public event, you want to feel safe walking to and from the concert arena. Some concert goers enjoy acting crazy, so watch out!
• Drugs.  Some concert goers drink and may use drugs because they don’t know how to have a good time without being wasted. First of all, don’t be one of those losers and secondly, stay away from them at a concert – they may offer you stuff you should definitely NOT take.
• Noise. Concerts can be VERY loud…you may even need earplugs to protect your ear drums. And yes, you would still be able to hear really loud music very well. NEVER sit near the speakers or you may not be able to hear for a few days after the concert. We learned this the hard way!
• Driving home. After a concert, some people get crazy and scream and whoop it up, revving their car engines and driving fast. A concert arena and parking lot can be a mad house after the concert ends.

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Sure, teenagers like junk food, but we also like the following GOOD-for-you stuff to eat:

• Red apple slices
• Seedless grapes
• Goldfish crackers
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, without the crust ** See how to make a crust-free pb&j at:

**    http://www.foodreviewsandrecipesforum.com/archives/1208

• Subway® chicken sandwiches
• Microwave popcorn
• Pretzels
• Lemonade
• Sliced strawberries
• Cantaloupe
• Lean beef fajitas
• Whole grain tortilla quesadillas

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ONE WORD ANSWER: “No.”

Don’t play those games – just be yourself. If you think you need to seem mysterious, or uninterested, then you do not stand a chance of a girl wanting to get to know you – - unless the girl in question is shallow.

If a female is shallow, and thinks she is better than everyone, she will LOVE it if you play such games as it will feed her craving for attention.  Do you want a girl like that? Some girls who crave attention, on the other hand, have had a difficult upbringing. Under those circumstances, you may wish to find out what her story is and be a friend rather than a romantic interest.

It is in your best interest to pursue a female who is not shallow, who feels special because she was brought up to feel that way. A girl whose parents or those who raised her, made her feel she is the best thing ever. A girl worth having is one who is not only funny, smart and kind – she also has an understanding of the goals she has.

A girl who wishes to be ignored in order to feel attracted to you does not have a plan for her future. She is needy and that is not a good attribute.

GIRLS LIKE:

Guys who smile, open doors, are nice to their parents or caregivers, dress cleanly, do not wear too much cologne, don’t chew with their mouth’s open and have a general love of life and respect their personal family members and guys with an idea of where they are headed in life.

Talk to a school counselor or a trusted adult if you need help deciding where your future lies. Don’t waste your time ignoring a girl to make her like you — concentrate on the bigger picture called life.

NOW YOU KNOW.

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WHAT? WE HAVE TO GO WHERE TO PURCHASE AN iPOD AT BEST BUY? Can we look at one first?

We cannot get over our experience today at Best Buy while trying to purchase an iPod. This story just has to be shared, and we wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience lately regarding their own attempt to purchase an iPod at Best Buy.

Today we made our third visit in the last few months to our local BEST BUY store to finally purchase the iPod we have been coveting — the iPod 4thG (it has a camera…swoon.) Once inside, we spied the large “iPod/mp3″ banner suspended from the ceiling that designated the area of the store where iPod’s are displayed, and headed to the showroom area.

Whoa! Had we lost our minds? Where were all of the iPod’s for purchase? Were they OUT of iPod’s? Where had the counters filled with iPad’s and other e-book readers come from? And, who knew there were so many e-readers available? STOP IT!

Frantically, we sought a sales associate who told us to visit the guy standing at a kiosk by the front door. Mr. Kiosk man politely listened to our bewildered request, “Where are the iPods?” With a kind voice, he gently urged us to the checkout stand to buy an iPod.

“Wait,” we told him, “we do not want to buy an iPod unless we can see what it looks like…you know, what features it has…does it come in different colors?”

“Well,” he said, “that is where we keep iPods now.” He pointed at a small, wood cabinet about the height of my knee and no longer than 4 feet. The windowless cabinet was locked with a key only he could open at the time. Beckoning a cashier, he tossed her the keys and she proceeded to open the lock on the cabinet.

“Which one do you want?” she asked. Amazed, I stood there and stared. I asked her why the iPods were locked up and were not available on the Best Buy showroom floor for viewing. “People steal them,” she replied, “so we have to lock them up.”

Are you kidding me? First of all, I was not terribly surprised that people steal iPods. Those gadgets are the “gotta have it” item of the decade. But BEST BUY, really? You could not come up with a way to let customers see what they are buying in advance? We have to slink like weasels up to the front desk and ask “So, whatcha got?”

What is next…buy a high-end television based on the advertisement, sight unseen? Perhaps purchase a new washing machine or dryer without knowing the dimensions, or if it will fit in our laundry room?

So disappointing. Really. And no, we did NOT buy the $70 warranty plan providing two years of “extra” coverage on the iPod. But yes, we bought the darn iPod and scurried away like thieves in the night that Best Buy made us feel like. Shame on you B.B.

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