Dear Dr. Sadie,
I really hate getting my hair cut. The sound of the scissors near my ears drives me nuts, and I mourn as all the little hairs flitter to the floor. I feel like I'm losing a part of me.
I haven't had a haircut in 15 years. My hair has gotten so long and out of control that I sometimes step on it when I walk. What should I do?
- Rapunzel
Maybe you should ask the barbs, the people who work at the hair shop, to not cut your ears. Maybe you could put some yellow dye into your hair and then put red dye in your hair, and then you could put white letters in your hair that say "stop cutting by my ears."
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Channeling Martha Stewart
Dear Dr. Sadie,
I have been saving my money for years, and I'm finally able to buy my dream home. Do you have any decorating tips for me?
- Excited First-Timer
Yeah! Maybe you could put up a big flower bouquet on the ceiling. You could put glittering snowflakes on the floor. You could ask your husband if he wants to go with you to JoAn's fabrics to get some ribbons and lace. You could hang them up with the flower bouquets.
You could try to make the house look like Dorothy's house. You could make a cardboard house outside, and all the kids could come and use their imaginations to make it fun. Everyone is invited. In our house, we don't say, "you can't play."
I have been saving my money for years, and I'm finally able to buy my dream home. Do you have any decorating tips for me?
- Excited First-Timer
Yeah! Maybe you could put up a big flower bouquet on the ceiling. You could put glittering snowflakes on the floor. You could ask your husband if he wants to go with you to JoAn's fabrics to get some ribbons and lace. You could hang them up with the flower bouquets.
You could try to make the house look like Dorothy's house. You could make a cardboard house outside, and all the kids could come and use their imaginations to make it fun. Everyone is invited. In our house, we don't say, "you can't play."
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Unwanted Nickname
Dear Dr. Sadie,
I am in the 4th grade. My teacher, Mr. Johnson, is very nice, but also very old. He sometimes forgets things, and we have to remind him of things all the time - things like when it's time to go to lunch or gym or the bus. Mostly it's all right, but he also forgets my name.
Actually, he forgets all of our names. He just calls everyone "Charlie." I really don't like being called Charlie. My name is Jennifer. How do I get him to stop?
- Not Charlie
You should tell him everyone's name. You need to remind him over and over and over again. You could say, "this one's name is Maggie," and he would say, "I'm sorry, Maggie."
If you keep telling him over and over, he will remember. When I'm in pre-school, I sometimes forget what my job is - like whether I'm the line leader or the caboose. The caboose is the end of the line, and the leader is at the front, but the teacher is in front of the line leader. When I forget my job, I tell the teacher I forgot, and she tells someone to go to the morning meeting spot (where we usually read books in the morning), and they check to see what my job is.
You could write down what the kids' actual names are, then whenever the teacher has trouble figuring out the names, he could go to where he keeps that piece of paper, he would remember the names.
I am in the 4th grade. My teacher, Mr. Johnson, is very nice, but also very old. He sometimes forgets things, and we have to remind him of things all the time - things like when it's time to go to lunch or gym or the bus. Mostly it's all right, but he also forgets my name.
Actually, he forgets all of our names. He just calls everyone "Charlie." I really don't like being called Charlie. My name is Jennifer. How do I get him to stop?
- Not Charlie
You should tell him everyone's name. You need to remind him over and over and over again. You could say, "this one's name is Maggie," and he would say, "I'm sorry, Maggie."
If you keep telling him over and over, he will remember. When I'm in pre-school, I sometimes forget what my job is - like whether I'm the line leader or the caboose. The caboose is the end of the line, and the leader is at the front, but the teacher is in front of the line leader. When I forget my job, I tell the teacher I forgot, and she tells someone to go to the morning meeting spot (where we usually read books in the morning), and they check to see what my job is.
You could write down what the kids' actual names are, then whenever the teacher has trouble figuring out the names, he could go to where he keeps that piece of paper, he would remember the names.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Fitting In
Dear Dr. Sadie,
I work internationally. For the next six months, I am stationed in a very remote area in a country most people have never heard of. It's quite rustic. There's no electricity in my town. There's no indoor plumbing. It's like stepping back in time. I'm fine with all of it, and I'm enjoying getting to know the people and the local customs. It's very important that I am accepted by the locals and that I build relationships.
The problem is the food. There is a local dish that everyone eats. It's considered a very important part of the local culture. People take pride in how well they cook it, and recipes are handed down through generations. Unfortunately, it's awful. It's made of something I would never consider eating. It smells like the inside of a barn, and it tastes even worse. After eating it, I feel sick for a week. Unfortunately, as a new person to the town, whenever I am invited to someone's house, they make this dish for me and expect me to eat it enthusiastically. To refuse it is very insulting, and it would make my work much more difficult.
What should I do?
- Delicate Stomach
Maybe you should say "I want to go to another part of this place where they don't have this food." You should find someone else to do this job. Maybe you could ask my Uncle Baba (ed. note - Dr. Sadie's Uncle, who is an international relief worker). He could do the job really well, and he would eat the food.
When I don't like something that's offered to me, I say, "that's not my favorite," which is nicer than "I don't like that food." I really don't like sweet potato and winter squash. I get sick for a week, too, if I eat them. If someone tries to give me sweet potato or winter squash, I say, "no thank you. That's not my favorite."
I work internationally. For the next six months, I am stationed in a very remote area in a country most people have never heard of. It's quite rustic. There's no electricity in my town. There's no indoor plumbing. It's like stepping back in time. I'm fine with all of it, and I'm enjoying getting to know the people and the local customs. It's very important that I am accepted by the locals and that I build relationships.
The problem is the food. There is a local dish that everyone eats. It's considered a very important part of the local culture. People take pride in how well they cook it, and recipes are handed down through generations. Unfortunately, it's awful. It's made of something I would never consider eating. It smells like the inside of a barn, and it tastes even worse. After eating it, I feel sick for a week. Unfortunately, as a new person to the town, whenever I am invited to someone's house, they make this dish for me and expect me to eat it enthusiastically. To refuse it is very insulting, and it would make my work much more difficult.
What should I do?
- Delicate Stomach
Maybe you should say "I want to go to another part of this place where they don't have this food." You should find someone else to do this job. Maybe you could ask my Uncle Baba (ed. note - Dr. Sadie's Uncle, who is an international relief worker). He could do the job really well, and he would eat the food.
When I don't like something that's offered to me, I say, "that's not my favorite," which is nicer than "I don't like that food." I really don't like sweet potato and winter squash. I get sick for a week, too, if I eat them. If someone tries to give me sweet potato or winter squash, I say, "no thank you. That's not my favorite."
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Teenage Wasteland
Dear Dr. Sadie,
My 17 year old son is a high school drop out. He's not interested in anything. He sleeps until noon every day and spends every day on the couch, watching TV and playing video games. He has no ambition.
I want him to get a job. What kind of job do you suggest for such a lazy kid?
- Concerned Mom
He should work in a bank. Then he would get lots of money. I think he would like money. When you work in a bank, you give money to lend to people, and then they give it back. Mr. Banks was keeping the money and not giving it away. Mr. Banks is a character from the Jane and Michael movie (ed. note: Mary Poppins). If your son works in a bank, he should lend the money to people. Then he won't get fired.
He might also get fired if he brought children to the bank. Don't ever bring children to a bank. Children shouldn't work. They should stay home and play and go to school, unless they're doing home school. It's important for children to learn new things. New things might be important.
Jane and Michael were very naughty kids. They ran away from the nannies, because they were mean. They ran away from their mom and dad, because THEY were mean, too. But then Mary Poppins made it funnier and funnier when the nannies and parents were mean, so Jane and Michael learned how to be nice, not mean. Maybe Mary Poppins could teach your son not to be lazy. But Mary Poppins isn't real. Maybe someone else could teach him. I'm not lazy. Sometimes I'm lazy in the morning because I want to sleep more, but other than that, I'm not lazy.
My 17 year old son is a high school drop out. He's not interested in anything. He sleeps until noon every day and spends every day on the couch, watching TV and playing video games. He has no ambition.
I want him to get a job. What kind of job do you suggest for such a lazy kid?
- Concerned Mom
He should work in a bank. Then he would get lots of money. I think he would like money. When you work in a bank, you give money to lend to people, and then they give it back. Mr. Banks was keeping the money and not giving it away. Mr. Banks is a character from the Jane and Michael movie (ed. note: Mary Poppins). If your son works in a bank, he should lend the money to people. Then he won't get fired.
He might also get fired if he brought children to the bank. Don't ever bring children to a bank. Children shouldn't work. They should stay home and play and go to school, unless they're doing home school. It's important for children to learn new things. New things might be important.
Jane and Michael were very naughty kids. They ran away from the nannies, because they were mean. They ran away from their mom and dad, because THEY were mean, too. But then Mary Poppins made it funnier and funnier when the nannies and parents were mean, so Jane and Michael learned how to be nice, not mean. Maybe Mary Poppins could teach your son not to be lazy. But Mary Poppins isn't real. Maybe someone else could teach him. I'm not lazy. Sometimes I'm lazy in the morning because I want to sleep more, but other than that, I'm not lazy.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Water Cooler Proposal
Dear Dr. Sadie,
I work with someone who's sweet on me. I just think he's sweet...What should I do?
-Heartbreaker
Maybe you should say, "no. I want to marry someone else. I don't want to get married. I just don't want to date anybody."
Maybe you should tell the man, "I'm just not going to date right now." Then he would find another woman in the office that he really, really liked, and he would marry her.
I work with someone who's sweet on me. I just think he's sweet...What should I do?
-Heartbreaker
Maybe you should say, "no. I want to marry someone else. I don't want to get married. I just don't want to date anybody."
Maybe you should tell the man, "I'm just not going to date right now." Then he would find another woman in the office that he really, really liked, and he would marry her.
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