October 13, 2012 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR FRIEND COPIES YOU This question comes from Angie. She writes: Okay so my friend copies everything I do and I can’t stand it because I like being me only. Nobody else can be me and I know that but whenever I make a new friend she comes in and takes them away from me. When I stop, she just ditches them and makes every friend I make. I don’t like that she just uses my friends. I told my parents and they just got so upset because they think she perfect. What should I do? My Advice: Hi Angie! There was this girl who used to copy me all the time in fifth grade, so I’m going to give you some advice from what happened to me then!! This girl’s name was Taylor, and she used to do EVERYTHING I did! If I wore my hair in a side ponytail, the next day she wore HERS in a side ponytail. If I said I had a favorite subject, she said it was HER favorite. But if I changed my mind about that subject, SHE did too! And then all if a sudden she was ALL into art. And that was MY thing!! I didn’t want to hang out with her anymore after that. I mean, she was taking EVERYTHING that made me different!! One day when she said she loved the same singer I did, I was like, “Stop copying me!!!” And then Taylor actually said, “But I want to be like you because you’re awesome.” OMG I felt so bad! I ASSUMED she was just being rude, but she just looked up to me. So I started telling her all the unique things that I thought were awesome about her…the stuff that wasn’t copying me. Like, I told her I loved her curly hair and that she was really good at math. (I am SO not good at math!!) She still copied me a little, but I wasn’t as mad about it when I realized she wanted to be like me because she thought I was cool. (I don’t know why, since I’ve always been a total dork!!!) As far as the whole friends thing, maybe she’s not trying to STEAL them from you, but just be friends with them too. If Chloe and Zoey made a new friend, I might feel left out, if I didn’t know that friend all that well. I know it’s still totally annoying! But it sounds like maybe she’s just kind of insecure. Try to help her figure out what SHE’S into so maybe she’ll feel more confident and won’t just copy you all the time. If she keeps doing it and it really bugs you, then maybe you could tell her that you noticed she copies you sometimes, and you think she’s awesome, so she should just be herself. So that’s my advice: Try to help her be her own person and go easy on her! Sounds like she totally looks up to you!! What do you guys think? Do you have any advice for Angie??