Dear Sarai,

My mom constantly yells at me for not doing anything at home except for homework. She wants me to do well in school and play sports, which I do, but also wants me to still find time to do chores. How do I make her understand that I would do chores if I could, but that I just don’t have the time?

Sincerely,

Not looking for confrontation

Dear Not looking for confrontation,

I want to start off by saying that  there is always time. If you really wanted to, then you would be willing to make that time. I also think that you and your mom should sit down and try to have a mature, civil conversation. Listen to what she has to say and explain all the responsibilities you have, and tell her that it takes a long time to finish up all your homework. Work on your homework and other assignments during brunch or lunch in order to save more time for helping your mom out around the house. Do your practices start immediately after school? Practices usually start 15 minutes, or even longer, after school which also gives you the perfect opportunity to work on homework. Take advantage of that time. You might also want to let your mom know that you’re trying to finish as much homework as you can at school, but you still need time at home. Getting homework done on the weekend is also a great way to help your mom and get some free time as well. Please remember to sit down and talk to your mom, have patience and speak calmly, because the way you communicate with her will definitely matter.

Sincerely,

Sarai Mejia

Dear Sarai,

My friend’s birthday just passed and she’s celebrating at her house this weekend. All her friends and our friends were invited; everyone except me. I was surprised about this and don’t know what to do. Should I confront her? Should I just show up at her party? This has never happened to me, so I’m very confused as to how to tackle on this situation.

Sincerely,

Desperate for answers

Dear Desperate for answers,

I agree, you should definitely talk to her and find out why she didn’t invite you. It could have been a miscommunication. Don’t make assumptions. They will mess with your head, and you don’t want that happening. Try not to let your emotions get the best of you. I doubt you want to start a fight with your friend. She might have forgotten and actually meant to invite you, or maybe there is a problem that you are unaware of, but you’ll never know until you ask.

Sincerely,

Sarai Mejia

Dear Sarai,

Lately I’ve been more stressed than usual. My parents think that because they’re my parents they can force me into applying to colleges that they like instead of allowing me to choose for myself. I love them and respect them very much, but I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet. I’m still a junior in high school, I don’t know what schools I’m interested in, I don’t know what I want to major in, I don’t even know if I want to go to college after high school. They seem to keep getting more insistent and I just want them to stop. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Already college stressed

Dear Already college stressed,

It is very important for you to consider all your options before you make any decisions. Sit down with your parents and discuss what you want to do and how you’re going to do it, you definitely don’t want to leave it until the last minute. Your parents are your friends not your enemies, don’t be afraid to let them know that all this pressure they’re putting on you is becoming too much, they’ll surely understand. It might be good for you to also come up with a plan that you can share with your parents before you actually sit down with them. Ask your school counselor to help you come up with a plan if you don’t think you can do it on your own or you can even ask a teacher that you trust. What you want to do is talk to your parents let them know what they’ve been doing and how it’s been affecting you, but most importantly let them know of what you want.

Sincerely,

Sarai