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Teen Mom Millions
Hey, Cherie!
Hello. My name is Bailey and I live in Maine. I'm almost 16 and have a very level head on my shoulders. I come from a good family. No one is an alcoholic or abusive or anything like that. The only thing I've ever heard my parents fight …Read more.
Teen Drinks Hand Sanitizer
Hey, Readers!
I got two similar letters this week on the same subject, though I'm only printing one here to save space. The letters came from completely different parts of the country; one was from a girl and one was from a guy. Since it was a …Read more.
Tween Worries Over Body
Hey, Cherie!
I'm 12 years old. I hope that isn't too young to write to you, so here goes.
When I was a little kid, I was just a normal weight, not skinny and not fat. I never really thought about my weight, and I thought I looked OK. Like people …Read more.
My Boyfriend Is Rich
Hey Cherie!
I am a girl, 15, and I need some advice about my boyfriend. He is the first serious boyfriend I ever had. He is 16. I met him at a party at my cousin's house, which is a different neighborhood than the one I live in. My cousin, Devon, is …Read more.
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My Mom, My Son, Myself: Happy Mother's Day!Hey, Readers! Those of you who have been so kind — not to mention loyal! — and have been reading my column for years may recall that a few years back I did a Mother's Day column with my own mom. Let me tell you a little about her. After getting pregnant at 18, she dropped out of college, got married, and raised a family — my brothers and me. When my parents divorced, I was in middle school, and she went back to college and got her master's degree in guidance and counseling, and she also taught high school English. Teens flocked to her. The Great Books Club at the local high school went from maybe 20 to 100 kids when she took it over, and they began meeting at our house. She passed away three years ago. I miss her every single day. For this Mother's Day, it's so special to me to bring my son — my mom, Roslyn Cantor's grandson, into this column. She adored him. He offers his answers to some of the most common, basic questions I get asked over and over. But this time, you get the answer from a teen guy's point of view. I've always felt that this column was unique because it's not academic, doesn't pander, and sometimes isn't even "PC." It treats teens with respect. Hopefully, it's both informative and funny. Teens love funny. And more than anything else, they hate hypocrisy. The novels I write about teens are the real deal, and because of that, I've been privileged to get thousands and thousands of emails from teens over the years that share their lives, fears, joys, and secrets. I personally answer each and every teen who writes to me; I always have. So let me introduce you to my teen son, Igor. He is 19, 6-feet tall, blond, blue eyes, very smart but pretty quiet about it, and he loves to have fun. I can attest to his depth of thought and character. Sometimes I feel like I learn more from him than he learns from me. One of the best things I ever did in my life was adopt him from Russia 9 years ago. He didn't speak English; I didn't speak Russian. Becoming his mom changed my life completely in the most profound ways.
Hey, Igor! I'm 14. I'm totally in love with this boy in my class, but he doesn't pay any attention to me. I am quiet and sit in the back. How can I get him to notice me? —Crazy For Him Hey, Crazy! Talk to him. If you casually just walk in or out of class when he does and bring up something going on in class or ask him for help with something, etc., this can be an ice breaker. Most guys really like it when a girl is natural and friendly. Don't worry about rejection. There are so many guys in the world. He may be practice, a new friend or more. But you'll never know unless you try. So ... Talk to him! Hey, Igor! What kind of girls do guys like? If I knew, I could be that kind of girl! I'm 15 and haven't even had a boyfriend yet. —Wanna Boyfriend Hey, Wanna! There are three answers. A: Dress sluttier, which could lead to B: Talk to more guys. C: See A and B. No, I'm messin' with you! I can see a girl dressed super hot and yeah, I wanna get next to her, but I will never take her seriously because she isn't taking herself seriously. So if you want more than a hook-up, meet more people. Put yourself out there. Friends have friends. Also, do stuff you like to do — hike, swim, go to parties, join a club, whatever — you will naturally come in contact with guys who have similar interests. Then there's a chance for you to really get to know one another. To have the wrong boyfriend, just so you can say you have one, is kinda lame. Hey, Igor! My father is so strict. He checks out how I look before I go out and he'll say, "Your skirt is too short" or "You have too much makeup on," and he'll make me go change. I just want to dress like my friends and be cute, but that doesn't make me a slut! —Dad Doesn't Listen! Hey, Dad Doesn't Listen! Listen to your Dad. Seriously. Cherie Bennett is a best-selling author of books and plays for teens and young adults. To find out more about Cherie Bennett and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
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