Family Relationships

Em, I wish I could reach through the screen and give you a hug. You, and the two classmates of your sister's who have been targeted by their peers and failed by the adults who should have protected them. I am so very angry on their behalf, and on yours. This situation sucks in no small part because...

Hi there, Lilly. I think I can help you with this. First, I want to assuage some of your fears. Just because your young siblings are having a hard time understanding this doesn’t mean the whole of the LGBTQ+ community does or will. For sure, biphobia is, unfortunately, still alive and well in plenty...

Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, in many households, the strains of closed schools, lost jobs, health issues, and close quarters mean that tensions are high, tempers are short, and privacy has become a luxury. If you’re a young queer person who is now isolated with trans- or homophobic family members, you probably know that better than anyone. Here are a few ideas to help you stay as physically and emotionally safe as possible during these difficult days.

I feel you, Mandy! I'm a woman whose adult height is five feet and when I was 16 I weighed about a hundred pounds soaking wet. I suspect (but cannot prove) my parents were a little more protective of me than they would have been if I was a boy, but I have to give credit where credit is due. They...

You’re facing down a process that, according to a bazillion sitcoms and teen dramas, ought to fill you with dread: introducing the person you're dating to your parents and trying to peacefully navigate their feelings about your budding romance.

Hello! You're dealing with a situation that's very familiar for many teenagers (and ex-teenagers like myself): You're growing into your body and...you're not sure how you feel about it. But just because this is a common stage of human development doesn't mean you need to sit in silence, and I'm so...

My answer to your question is at once simple and really, really complicated: don't ask your mom permission. You're an adult, you don't need her permission, or anyone's, to explore sex. Truthfully, you didn't need her permission when you were sixteen either. Even when you're a kid, what you choose to...

This is one of those situations that I think is telling you it's time to start claiming -- and insisting upon -- your independence. I kept the title you chose for this because it's clear you know what the problem is: control. The solution is about control, too: you taking control of your own life...

I am really glad to hear that you have a close relationship with your mom. That can be tricky to maintain throughout the teen years, but for many people having a close relationship with parents is important, so it is awesome that you two seem to be doing great on that front. A big part of the reason...

If you feel crampy and bloated, and you didn't miss your last period, it's more likely in terms of those symptoms and the timing of things that you're experiencing PMS symptoms rather than pregnancy symptoms. However, if you've been having unprotected intercourse, pregnancy is a very real...