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[title]Life at turnstile level can be tough. Good thing our eight-year-old LES mini guru is here to help with life's most important kid questions! We asked NYC kids to send in their advice, and as it turns out, they were looking for tips on everything from kids clothing to personal hygiene (hehe) to making friends in a new place!
For more on cool NYC kids, check out The Playdate Project and our favorite 101 things to do with kids in New York City. Be sure to send in your own kids' questions, too (and please include their first name, age and borough). Enjoy!
"I really don’t like to wear jeans, but my mom tries to make me wear them to school all the time. What’s the big deal? Can’t I just wear sweatpants and be comfortable?"—Jackson, 8, Tribeca
Sasha says: "If your mom makes you wear what she wants you to wear, you can probably just be honest and say, 'I don’t like wearing jeans!' Or maybe you can compromise and wear sweatpants three days a week and jeans two days a week."
"I just moved to New York City from a new town, because my parents got new jobs. I’m having trouble making friends. I miss my old friends."—Rose, 9, East Village
Sasha says: "Usually I just walk up to someone who seems nice and just say hello and say my name and ask if they want to play during school, or wherever you are. And then that’s usually just how you become friends with a person."
"I want to dye my hair, but my mom won’t let me, and many of my friends are allowed to."—Lyla, 8, Park Slope
Sasha says: "Usually I want to dye my hair, but my mom only lets me on special occasions like Halloween. But I would say if you want to dye your hair, don’t ask your mom right now. Do it when you’re older. She’ll probably say yes when you’re older. If it’s the kind that comes out, then maybe you can ask now. My friend just got real hair dye, and it’s pink and blond. The pink comes out, but the blond stays in, and I’m kind of jealous, so I’ve been asking. My mom says maybe when I’m a little older."
"What should I do when my mom embarrasses me in public by kissing my cheek or hugging me?"—Atticus, 12, Manhattan
Sasha says: "You don’t really need to be embarrassed. Doesn’t everyone do that to their kids? I’d say not to be embarrassed."
"Why do teenagers drink coffee?"—J.D., 9, Manhattan
Sasha says: "Well maybe it’s because there’s an ingredient in coffee that’s not good for kids. You know how kids aren’t allowed to have alcohol because there’s an ingredient in it that isn’t very good for kids, but as you get older you can start to have it? I think it’s the same with coffee."
"I have food allergies, and I’m nervous to go to birthday parties because there might be unsafe foods and kids will tease me for bringing my own cupcake."—Samantha, 6, LES
Sasha says: "You shouldn’t really care about getting teased. If you do get teased, tell a parent or someone older, and they can tell whoever is teasing you to stop. You can’t just eat something that you’re allergic to, because you can get very sick or hurt. Say, 'What if you brought your own cupcake and I teased you? How would you feel?'"
"How do I know for sure my butt is clean when I wipe? I don’t want to be embarrassed in my big-boy school."—Laszlo, 5, East Village
Sasha says: "Just keep wiping over and over until you don’t see any left. That’s the only answer I can come up with."
"I forgot to do my homework and didn’t tell my parents, and now I’m afraid to tell the teacher. What should I do?"—Ella, 9, UES
Sasha says: "Today I didn’t go to school because I was feeling dizzy. I was scared to not do my homework because my teacher might get mad. You should probably be honest with your parents, because if they find out later, they will be super mad for you lying. You can also ask them for help."
Do your kids have a burning question for Sasha? Email us at kids.ny@timeout.com with "ASK SASHA" in the subject line.