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:

“I feel really bad and my mom won't listen to me.”
(Continued)

Hey Terra,

I'm not positive, it's been awhile, but not like forever. Lately I have been feeling really bad, because a lot has happened to me. First my mom gets a new boyfriend, next we spent the summer together, then our house burned down, and finally my mom decides she wants to lives in another state and we might never go back to where we live now. I don't know, I feel like crap and sometimes I just want a new life.

Also, I have another question. My mom recently started dating again, she hasn't had a boyfriend since my dad died. Is it wrong that I despise her boyfriend as much as I do? I've tried so hard to like him but I just can't. And whenever me and him get in a fight she always seems to take his side instead of mine.

That's a lot of stuff, but I guess there's a lot of stuff wrong in my life.

Thanks for listening!

Alone and Tormented

Dear Alone and Tormented,

It certainly sounds like you've had some very difficult things to deal with recently. Any one of those events could contribute to your feelings of being alone and left out. (My dad died when I was 15 and I know how badly that can shake your world up.) But when you combine the impact of the loss of your dad, your house burning down, a move to a new state, your mom's new boyfriend... This is a LOT of stuff for you to be dealing with!

Here's my suggestion and I offer it because I care about you. Please go and talk with your school counselor. This emotional storm that you're living with is too much for you to try to cope with on your own.

Will you talk with your counselor?

Write back. I'm here for you.

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