Only girls allowed, p.9
Only Girls Allowed,
p.9
Think pink!
Dear PLS,
My grandma has breast cancer. I’m very worried about her. Why does this have to happen?
Grandma’s Girl
Dear G. G.,
We’re sorry to hear about your grandma. We love our grandmothers like no one else in the world. Even experts don’t know exactly why someone gets breast cancer, but being older and having a history of it in the family can make a woman more likely to get it. Fortunately, doctors do know a lot about how to fight it. You can be helpful to your grandma by encouraging her during the treatments she is getting to fight the disease. You might consider wearing a pink ribbon or raising money for breast cancer research. A positive attitude can help your grandma—and you.
Think pink!
Dear PLS,
OK, here’s a problem for you. I accidentally tooted in class and everyone knows it was me. Now they’re calling me Miss Farts A Lot!
Your friend,
Miss You Know What
Dear Miss Y. K. W.,
Oh, dear. That’s not a nickname anyone would want. But the truth is that everyone passes gas because everyone digests food. Of course, we’d rather not do it in public, but it happens. If you find yourself feeling gassy again, go to the bathroom or find an out-of-the-way spot. Our guess is that your nickname will eventually fade away. If someone teases you about it in the meantime, remind him or her that everybody toots!
Think pink!
Dear PLS,
Can I swim when I have my period? If so, won’t people see the pad in my bathing suit?
Signed,
Super Swimmer
Dear S. S.,
Yes, you can swim when you have your period. Getting exercise is fun and healthy, so you don’t want to avoid something you love. But a girl should wear a tampon to swim. Like a pad, a tampon absorbs the menstrual flow, but it does so from inside the vagina. A tampon is made of absorbent material that is pressed into a cylinder shape. Learning to insert a tampon takes a little practice, but just relax and be patient. Talk to your mom, sister, or someone else who has experience using tampons. Read the directions in the package and remember to change it every four to six hours.
Think pink!
Dear PLS,
My backpack is very heavy. It’s like carrying rocks to school every day. How can I get my teachers to give me less homework?
Sincerely,
Weighed Down
Dear W. D.,
This one was a toughie. After about two seconds of discussion, we realized that teachers were not going to ease up on the homework. So the only other solution is to carry less weight and carry it in a way that doesn’t hurt your back. We hope these tips lighten your load!
Take stock of what’s in your backpack and figure out if you need every item and book in there. We sometimes find balled-up sweatshirts, bits of long-ago lunches, and lots of pennies and nickels swimming in the depths of our backpacks.
Use both shoulder straps. We have been guilty of just using one, but two balances the load.
Do wheelies! Consider a rolling backpack so you can roll it instead of haul it on your back.
Think pink!
Dear PLS,
I know this is a Web site for girls, but I’m a guy. Here’s my question: All the guys I know like the same girl. It makes me mad because I’ve liked her the longest. How can I tell those guys to back off?
Signed,
A Guy
Dear A. G.,
We’re happy to know that guys like our Web site, too. Everyone is welcome here! But back to your question. It stinks when too many people—especially friends—like the same person. In some ways, it’s like in soccer or basketball when everyone is fighting for the ball. Hey, that’s mine. Give it here! But a girl (or a guy) isn’t a piece of sporting equipment. People aren’t property, so there’s no sense telling other guys they shouldn’t like “your” girl. But you can tell this girl that you like her and see what happens. Even though you liked her first, it’s up to her to decide whom she likes. Maybe she likes you, too. But be kind if she just wants to be friends.
Think pink (or blue)!
Every year more than 150 million families, educators, health professionals, and media turn to KidsHealth.org for expert answers, making it the #1 Web site devoted to children’s health and development. KidsHealth is physician-led, providing doctor-approved health information about the physical, emotional, and behavioral health of children, from before birth through adolescence. KidsHealth.org features three distinct sections—for parents, for kids, and for teens—each with its own tone and age-appropriate topics.
KidsHealth is known for its engaging, family-friendly information and has been honored as one of the 30 Best Web sites by U.S. News & World Report, one of the 50 Coolest Web Sites by Time magazine, and the Best Family Health Site For Moms by Good Housekeeping. KidsHealth also created KidsHealth in the Classroom, a free Web site for educators featuring standards-based health curricula, activities, and handouts.
KidsHealth comes from Nemours, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit pediatric health systems and a founding member of the Partnership for a Healthier America, a national movement led by First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the childhood obesity challenge. For more information about KidsHealth, please visit KidsHealth.org.
About the Author
Debra Moffitt lives in a house full of boys—with three sons and one husband. She was a newspaper reporter for more than ten years and is now the kids’ editor of KidsHealth.org. That means she gets paid to write about stuff kids care about, like pimples, crushes, and puberty. She’d like to thank the thousands of girls who have e-mailed her to share their questions and concerns. You inspired this book series!
Debra Moffitt, Only Girls Allowed
