Dear Dish-It, My Friend Is Being Neglected

Help for Abused Children

Dear Dish-It is here to help with all your hot tops. Be it bullying, sibling rivalry, self-esteem problems, depression or suicide, Dish-It is here for ya. On the fly, she gives great teen dating advice, some deep thoughts on the hot topics like flirting, cheaters, best friends, the straight-up on boys and boyfriends as well as the real deal on girls and girlfriends. Dear Dish-It's got the words to make it work. Need advice on love and life, then just start writin' Dish-It. And now, Dish-It is hanging on the boards, so head on over to see the advice she's dishin' up there!

Dear Dish-It,
I wrote a letter not too long ago about my pal Andrew, and how he is neglected. He comes down to our softball practices in no shirt, ripped jeans, and no shoes. His dog has a huge room all to itself in their rinky-dink shack of a house, and Andrew sleeps on the floor in a closet. His dad is in jail, and his mom drives a bus out of state every two weeks and is gone for days at a time. I really need some advice. Do I buy him some shoes, socks, pants, etc.? Or do I just stay out of it? PLEASE ANSWER SOON!
spyware315

Dear spyware315,
It's really cool that you're looking out for the well-being of your friend, when even his own parents don't seem to be doing so. When a kid is being neglected, it's a pretty serious matter - one that a new pair of shoes probably won't fix. But you're definitely on the right track. You can make small gestures like inviting him over for dinner, letting him spend time with you and your family and offering up some of your lunch next time you're in the cafeteria together. Also, instead of running out to buy him brand new clothes, why not offer him some of your old clothes that you would probably be giving away to good will anyway. A lot of the time when people are in need of help, they don't know how to ask for it, and it makes it easier when those around them don't make a huge deal about it. You should also get a trusted adult involved in helping Andrew. Whether it's your 'rents or a school counselor, someone should know about his situation so they can attempt to get him the help he really needs. Hope this helps - Good Luck!

So gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' about stuff like teen suicide, depression, sex, low self-esteem, boyfriends, girlfriends, losing old friends, bullying or peer pressure but are too scared to ask the 'rents? Don't be scared to Dish-It. Just remember, if you hang out in chat with other Kidzworld members who know you by your nick, you might wanna use a secret nick when you write in. That way no one will ever know it's you. Remember though, Dish-It gets tons of letters a day, so she can't answer 'em all. But keep checkin' the column cuz chances are, she'll be answering something very similar to your question soon. Thanks! Got some words of wisdom you wanna share? We'll dish them up too.

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