I think my sister really hates me. I don't know why but sometimes my mom asks my sister if I can sleep in her room for the night when she works late and my sister forces me to sleep on the floor without a pillow or anything!

She calls me mean names if I do something wrong, but when my mom finds out, she'll just say it was an accident.  I wish we were closer and don't know why we're not! Help!

Hey babe, family probs can be tough—especially if you feel like you're alone and have no one to talk to about it. But as a girl with three older sisters, trust me, I feel your pain! Older sisters like to bug little sisters, and I'm sure you can admit that sometimes you like to get under her skin, too, right? This is all normal, but here's how you could fix it.

When you sleep in her room, bring your own pillow and blanket with you. If she's not going to accommodate you, you'll just have to be prepared. Also, I'm sure she's just trying to bug you when she calls you bad names so try your best to ignore it. If she sees you getting upset, she'll probably keep doing it because she knows it'll get a big reaction out of you. Walk away or just act like you can't hear her. Show her that you are the bigger person.

I'd steer clear of "tattling" on her to your mom. That'll just give her more of a reason to pick on you. Try to talk it out calmly and rationally when you're alone with your mama, sans your sister. This way you can one-on-one let your madre know how hated your sis makes ya feel. Maybe you could work out a compromise. Say, you and your sister could switch off rooms night by night, this way it's all fair.

Talk to your friends who have siblings about what you're going through. Everyone can relate to fam drama and maybe they'll be able to offer up some advice for dealing with her! Either way, it'll just feel good to let some of that anger out. Good luck, girlie!

12/26/2009 7:00:00 AM