Ask Sam

Hi there,

Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me. You sound worried about your sister and I can tell that you care about her a lot. You mentioned that she is always upset after talking to her boyfriend on the phone and it sounds like you’re wondering whether to try and help or whether to ignore the worried feeling you have. When somebody you care about is feeling sad, it isn’t always possible to fix things but sometimes it can help to let them know that you’re there if they’d ever like to talk. That means that your sister has the choice and can come to you if she wants to speak about what’s happening. Perhaps you could choose a way of letting her know you’re there for her to talk to. You’ve done well to write to me. Maybe you could write to her saying she can come to you for support if she wants. 

You said that she goes to his house although he’s 15 and she’s 13. If you’re ever worried about her safety, remember that it’s alright to get help and you don’t have to keep the worries to yourself. I’m not sure whether you are feeling worried about her safety, if you are, maybe think about letting a family member know about it so that they can make sure she’s alright. You also mention that you worry because she is sad - sometimes worries can be hard to ignore and it can take more to ignore them than to talk to someone about them. You have started talking about your worries by writing to me.

It’s good that you’ve written to me about this and if you’d like some more ideas from people your own age, remember you can always use the ChildLine message boards. Some people like to read them to see what is being said and before they post. You can search on a particular topic and if you want you can start your own thread.

Thanks for your message.

Take care,

Sam