What if my friends are rude to me

Okay so that's literally the worst, and it happens to everyone sometimes. It's totally normal to feel upset and confused when your friends are acting rude, especially when your hormones are already doing all sorts of things and your moods are, like, everywhere.

It's super important to remember that you deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, always. Friends are supposed to make you feel good and supported, not bad. If they're being rude, it's not about you being bad or doing something wrong. It's about them.

What you can do

• Talk to them. This can be scary, I know, but sometimes people don't even realize they're being rude. You could say something like, "Hey, when you said [X], it kind of hurt my feelings," or "I feel like you've been a bit short with me lately, is everything okay?" See how they react. A true friend will listen and try to understand.
• Set boundaries. If talking doesn't work, or if they keep doing it, it's okay to create some space. You don't have to put up with it. You can spend less time with them, or not respond right away if they're being mean in texts.
• Lean on other friends. If you have other friends who are kind and supportive, spend more time with them. That can really help you feel better and remind you what a good friendship feels like.

If they keep being rude even after you've tried to talk to them, or if it feels like they're doing it on purpose to hurt you, then it might be time to think about whether these are the right friends for you. Sometimes, even though it's hard, it's better to find people who treat you the way you deserve to be treated. And if you're feeling really down or confused about it, talking to a trusted grown-up like a parent, school counselor, or an older sibling can really help too. They've been there and can give you good advice.