How can I be the best friend to a new mom?
I’m looking for advice from moms, and those who love them, on how I can be a good friend to my BFF who is having a baby. I need a bit of a rundown on how I can expect our relationship to change. So how do I be the best pal to a new mom given our relative distance? And how do I make sure I don’t accidentally make her life harder trying to keep our friendship going?
7 ways to deal with your chronically late friend
After a year of dealing of my friend’s lateness to most events, a mutual friend and I held a mini-intervention. There wasn’t an ultimatum, but the premise was that Things Had To Change. Unfortunately, the thing that had to change was me.
So here are my tips for dealing with your chronically late friend…
Gifts for a friend going through a divorce, separation, or break-up
The first few weeks of a separation can be fucking intense. The grief, the loss, even a sense of physical pain… it’s weird that something so common is so awful! Offering your ear is the most important thing you can give to any friend experiencing a profound loss or recovering from a trauma, but we get it: sometimes you want to give something more to offer your comfort. Of course you know your friend and their interests best, but here are our suggestions for great gifts for grieving friends.
How can you best relate to friends with imprisoned loved ones?
When I found out what had happened I knew my friend would be devastated. Her partner will be in jail for years, not weeks. I have messaged her a few times indicating I would love to see her, and we are planning a catch up in the next few weeks. My conundrum is this: Do we talk about her partner? Do I pass on my best wishes? Do I just ask if she is okay? What is the best way to show my support to her, and by proxy, her imprisoned partner.
Help!? My friend got sucked into multi-level marketing: How do I support them without purchasing things I don’t want?
A friend of mine recently became an independent consultant selling through a multi-level marketing company. I want to support her, but I don’t want to buy any expensive products that I don’t need. I can tell she needs encouragement, but how can I help her without compromising my own values?
Bonding by venting: Because tearing things down together is a shared activity
People bond by venting. And while negativity is a great social tool — tearing things down together is a shared activity! — it’s just also very, very damaging…
4 secrets for surviving a long-distance friendship
This March, my best friend packed up her life in Massachusetts, and she, her husband, and their two dogs set off on an adventure to Hawaii. So what do you do when one of your besties moves 5,000 miles away? It took a little while, but over the past several months we’ve figured out some ways to stay connected.
How to handle awkward questions like “Why did you unfriend me?”
I’m planning a Facebook-friend cull of the people in my friends list whom I don’t feel especially close to. The thing that’s making me put off the cull is the fear of being asked “Why did you unfriend me?” as this has happened during previous culls. What do fellow Homies do in this situation? Do you ignore the messages? Have blanket statements prepared? Tell them the hard truth?