Dear My Friend,

I don’t think my little sister’s best friend likes her. Should I: a.) Tell her, b.) Not tell her, or c.) Try to convince the friend to like her again? My mother says for now not to tell her, but I don’t want my little sister to get shunned and not know why.

Signed,
I want to help, but how?

It’s wonderful that you want to help! But sometimes the best way to help is to let her try to handle the situation herself. So follow your mother’s advice. Give your sister and her best friend the opportunity to work on their friendship. Best friends are like sisters. Sometimes they get along. Sometimes they don’t. But part of growing up is learning how to get along with others and how to deal with disappointments. So for now, continue to be the caring “sib” that you are, let your sister handle the situation, and say an extra prayer for both of them.