Annie Fox for Teens... Hey, Terra!

Annie (AKA Hey Terra!) has been around long enough to have experienced a lot of what Life can dish out. But, it hasn’t been so long that she's forgotten what it's like to be your age. Check out some of the thousands of email questions teens from around the world have sent to Terra. You may learn something useful from her answers:

Rejection:
“My obnoxious neighbor thinks he's my friend!”

Hey Terra,

I have a really obnoxious neighbor who bugs me every day and invites himself over constantly. He will even stand outside our house until I get home. Now he goes to the same school as me and he won't leave me alone. He thinks I'm his friend, but I don't think the same. I want him to stop bugging me, but I don't want to crush him. What should I do?

Wanting Peace

Dear Wanting Peace,

I'm glad to hear that you don't want to "crush" him. That would be cruel and besides, it's very bad karma. ;O)

Before I give you any advice about how to handle this delicate situation, let me ask 2 questions:

  1. What, exactly, makes this guy "really obnoxious" to you?
  2. What are some of his positive qualities (everyone has some of those).
Answer those two questions please, and we'll talk some more.

In friendship,

Terra


Need some advice? Write to Terra. She'll give you a straight answer you can trust without any lectures.


What's New?
''The Girls Q&A Book on Friendship: 50 Ways to Fix a Friendship Without the DRAMA'' by Annie Fox, M.Ed., illustrated by Erica De Chavez Books & Apps for Teens
''Middle School Confidential 3: What's Up With My Family?'' iOS app ''Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind'' iOS app ''Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident in Who You Are'' iOS app ''The Teen Survival Guide to Dating & Relating: Real-World Advice on Guys, Girls, Growing Up, and Getting Along'' by Annie Fox M.Ed.
''Middle School Confidential, Book 3: What's Up with My Family?'' by Annie Fox, Illustrated by Matt Kindt
''Middle School Confidential, Book 2: Real Friends vs. The Other Kind'' by Annie Fox M.Ed., Illustrated by Matt Kindt
''Middle School Confidential, Book 1: Be Confident in Who You Are'' by Annie Fox, Illustrated by Matt Kindt
''Too Stressed to Think? A Teen Guide to Staying Sane When Life Makes You CRAZY'' by Annie Fox, M.Ed. and Ruth Kirschner