38 comments!

Dear Dish-It, What's the Point of Dating?

Dish-It answers pueberty problems and a question from the Middle East.

Advice for Teenagers

Dear Dish-It, is here to whisper "ttyl after I've thought about this some more".

Dear Dish-It,

There's this girl in my class that keeps making fun of me cuz I don't wear a bra and she does! PLZ HELP ME A.S.A.P!!!!! And another problem is, I like this guy and he likes me but all of his friends keep asking me if were going out. I want them to stop bothering me!!!
SilverDragoness35

Dear SilverDragoness35,

Okay, about your first problem... tell the girl to back off. The fact is that not all girls (or boys) go through pueberty at the exact same moment so some girls are gonna start wearing the big B-R-A sooner than others. But the fact is, it's nothing to brag about either way. Tell her as much. Just look her straight in the eye and say "Why do you care what I wear and what I don't? Do I mean that much to you?" Do it with a straight face and be really serious about it. It'll make her feel stupid and hopefully she'll stop.

As for your second problem - poor you, NOT! If ya like the dude, and he likes you, then why AREN'T you going out? If ya feel like his friends are messing things up or making things uncomfortable because of their constant teasing, ignoring them is the best bet.

Dear Dish-It,

I just wanted to ask a question. I'm not from America or the West. Actually, I'm from the Middle East. Plz don't ignore this message as soon as U read Middle East. The whole "boyfriend/girlfriend" thing is not that popular here, and isn't viewed the same way as in the West. So my question is, and it may seem pretty lame, what exactly is the whole point of the boyfriend/girlfriend thing? It seems pretty pointless to me, really. Crushes, teen pregnancies, thinking you're in love - it doesn't seem like it's that important.
Einstein

Dear Einstein,

Thanks for writing in. First off, I want you to know I would NEVER ignore your question because of where you from! Dish-It is totally into insights and questions from whoever, wherever! Your comments or questions are just as important as anyone else.

Now, for your second question... I guess it's hard to say exactly what the "point" of boyfriends/girlfriends is. Dating has always been a part of North American culture. It's considered a normal part of growing up and becoming an adult. There can be problems like teen pregnancy, yes, but there are problems with every custom (everywhere)in some way or another. I personally think it is an important part of your emotional development to date and have boyfriends or girlfriends. It helps you learn to interact with others, express your feelings, develop a sense of what you want or don't want in a mate's personality, etc. I hope that answers your questions.

So, ya gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' 'bout stuff like depression, sex,how ya feel 'bout YOURSELF (that's called "self-esteem"), boyfriends, girlfriends, losin' old friends, bullyin' or peer pressure, but too scared to ask the parents? Don't be scared to .