Give and Get AdviceAs the weather warms up in the north, you reach for clothes that don’t make you feel overheated.
But what are your choices if you don’t feel comfortable in the short-shorts that are the style right now?     Love, LunaHello Dah1Girl here. I am starting middle school next year and I’m afraid of the shorts! Gymnophobia. It is the fear of showing skin. And I wouldn't say I'm the skinny type of girl. So what do I really do? I'm confused. Please help me. Love y'allDah1Girl, 11Dear Dah1Girl,I TOTALLY know how you feel! I get really uncomfortable and insecure. I only wear skorts which are just skirts with shorts underneath them. Though, I do have a few pairs of shorts.
Depending on where you live, the weather may be different. Where I live it’s rainy all the time. So, I don’t wear skirts often. BUT sometimes if I want to wear shorts I put pants on underneath them. So maybe put on a very LIGHT pair of leggings or tights underneath.
Emelia, 12, ORDear Dah1Girl,Hi! Hansa here. You know, when I first wore skirts, I didn’t like them at all. I used to wear pants all the time. When summer came, it got SO hot and I had to wear skirts. I realized I don’t have to be afraid to show my skin, because it is a part of ME! So, take a deep breath, and face this fear. Trust me, at the end of the day you’ll have a smile on your face.Hansa, 9, IndiaSometimes I feel invisible during class, in a family of 4, at a camp, anywhere really. It’s starting to get on my nerves. I don’t know what to do. I also have another problem, I started puberty not so long ago and I’m a little scared if I get my period at school.Brianna, 11Dear Brianna,I’m sorry! With the feeling invisible thing... talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Join a team or group.Talk and make people listen to you.And about the period, I haven’t gotten mine yet either, and I’m scared of the same thing. But just carry pads/tampons around with you and tell your teacher if you feel comfortable doing so.Moonbear, 12, CAWe also have an article about getting your period in Body & Mind, plus one about period products that help you and the world in our Fall 2021 issue.     Love, LunaSister to Sister mentor Kinneret offers advice for when you feel annoyed with someone but don’t want to hurt their feelings.During quarantine I’ve become really annoyed with other people, especially my family. When I try to express this to them they act hurt and/or angry, even though I’m just trying to say how I feel. How can I deal with being annoyed in a way that won’t affect others?EmpressElora, 13, NCHi EmpressEllora! This is definitely something I’ve struggled with too, so here are my ideas for dealing with it.First, try to take some time for yourself every day. Being at home with the same people all day every day can be hard, even when you love them. Alone time is super helpful.All you need is to ask your family to please not talk to you for a little bit, and then try to just relax. If you can go outside or look out a window it can help a lot, I love watching the plants and animals and trying to empty my mind of anything else.I hugely support finding a way to express annoyance and other strong emotions through art. By drawing, singing, writing poetry, playing an instrument, or even coloring, you get stuff off your mind without affecting others.From my experience, I suggest you plan on talking to your family when you’re feeling calm, and saying that you’ve been struggling with this. To make the talk helpful for all of you, ahead of time write down one thing that recently annoyed you about each member of your family. You can also write down something you did that you think might have annoyed them.Then think about how you can explain to them why a certain thing triggered you. By reflecting on those situations when we’re calm it can be easier to understand and accept our own feelings. When we accept any feeling, it makes it easier to talk about with others.Lastly, I’m going to guess that you might not actually be annoyed at them. Sometimes it’s more a general frustration that is triggered and just bubbles up at them, so I highly recommend explaining that to them.During the pandemic, or any stressful time, annoyance happens more. Hopefully they’ll understand. They may even be experiencing something similar themselves!I hope this helps!
FOR OUR NEXT ISSUEI like to write stories about adventure. I mean, they don’t get published but I like doing that. And, for many days I just don’t get good ideas. People tell me it shouldn’t be perfect, but I really want it to be. I wanna post my stories on the net, get some fans and maybe even win a competition. I want to be something, I want to be remembered for my books. But it’s like I’m falling into an abyss of nothing. Can you help me, please?Hansa, 9, IndiaClick here to give your advice!
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