Does my friend tease me when we’re alone or with family? Does my friend tease me in front of other friends or people? Does my friend tease me to look cool or make others laugh? Does my friend’s teasing make me feel bad by calling me names, putting me down or threatening me? Does my friend’s teasing make me feel uncomfortable? Does my friend tease me to get a bad reaction from me or make him or herself feel better?
Be honest with your mom or dad about the teasing. Remember that you did nothing wrong to get teased. You can say, “Mom, Sam called me “silly Billy” today when we were playing. What does this mean?” or “Dad, Maggie called me “bad breath Seth” in front of the class today. ” Let your mom or dad know what you and your friend were doing before he or she teased you, how you felt, and what you and your friend did after the teasing.
Ask yourself, “Did I tease my friend before he or she teased me back?” You can also say, “Did I say something that hurt my friend and he or she teased me to get back at me for that?” Figure out if you said something funny before the teasing. For example, maybe you slipped and said, “Dinosaurs stinked” instead of “Dinosaurs are extinct. ” If your friend giggled and repeated back something like, “Haha, dinosaurs stinked!” and then said, “I bet they did stink,” then he or she probably just found the moment funny and didn’t mean you any harm.
Let your friend calmly, nicely, and confidently know that it makes you feel bad when he or she teases you. It’s important to be as nice as possible so that you don’t hurt your friend’s feelings. You may even want to say something when it’s just the two of you. You could say, “Alex, you’re my best friend and it really hurts my feelings when you tease me” or “Taylor, when you called me “bad breath Seth” I felt really sad. ” Allow your friend to respond to what you say. He or she may apologize to you or could get mad. If this happens, just walk away to let your friend know you don’t want to fight.
Say, “Thanks so much for listening to my feelings, Sam. I’ve been feeling badly lately. Could you please stop teasing me?” or “It would be really helpful if you didn’t tease me anymore. ”[6] X Research source Consider assuring your friend that you won’t tease him or her anymore, either. Not having any teasing in your friend may keep either of you from hurting each other.
Crossing your arms Looking directly at him or her and not saying anything Knitting or turning down your eyebrows Angle your head downwards and rub your forehead Turning down your mouth or frowning
Pretend that you don’t hear your friend’s teasing. You can also look directly at your friend when she or he teases you and simply not say anything back. [8] X Research source Think about having a protective bubble around you that words can’t get through. This could help you ignore the teasing, too. [9] X Research source Walk away calmly from the situation. Don’t respond or react in an aggressive way, which could make the teasing worse. Simply turn around and walk to another place. If your friend chases behind you, it may make him or her look badly. He or she may even want to apologize to you.
Keep your response as calm and “nice” as possible. For example, you could say, “Wow, you noticed my braces! You’re a real genius, Logan. ” You could also say, “I thought that the bad smell was your bad breath bouncing off of my face. ” Avoid saying about the person’s appearance or family, even if they tease you for this. In these cases, you could say, “If only we were all gorgeous like you, Jaden. ”
Ask your other friend if you can talk to him or her in private. Remember to stay calm and as to the point as possible so you don’t appear mean or like you’re trying to hurt the friend who is teasing you. Say, “Bailey, can we talk? Cameron has been teasing me a lot and it hurts my feelings. I noticed that she does the same thing to you, too. Does it make you feel bad?” You can also say, “Avery, can I talk to you? Sydney has been teasing me a lot and I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve asked him to stop and he won’t. He’s started to tease me in front of all of our friends and I feel really left out. ”
Be honest with the adult you are telling about the teasing. Tell the person what’s been going on and how it makes you feel. Answer any questions the adult asks you about the teasing. Remember that you’ve done nothing wrong and are great just the way you are. Telling an adult can help you feel better and find a positive way to stop the teasing.
Stay away from places you know your friend might be. If you have a lot of mutual friends, you can choose to sit away from the teaser or just limit how much you talk to him or her. Try and stay as calm and nice as you can. Start spending time with new friends who value you and don’t tease you if you don’t like it. End the friendship entirely if the friend won’t stop. He or she clearly doesn’t value you as a friend. Be aware that it may cause problems with mutual friends, but true friends will support you.
