A good friend should not, however, put you down. Some of the things your friends might do that could be considered put-downs include:

• Making fun of anything about you, including your clothes, hair, family, or grades


• Laughing or mocking you after you say something


• Say something rude or put you down and then laugh it off and say, "I was just teasing," or "Don't be so sensitive."

If your friends put you down, you should not just ignore their put-downs and insults. The following are some tips on what to do when friends put you down.

Talk to your friends.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do when your friends put you down is to communicate. Communication is vital in solving any type of relationship problem, big or small. You should do this first. In addition, your friends may not have even known they were hurting your feelings; to them, they may have just been joking around or being sarcastic.

If your friends are putting you down, meet together and calmly explain to them that putting you down is not funny, but hurtful. Give examples of times they have put you down and how it makes you feel. If more than one friend is putting you down, talk to each one alone.

Avoid retaliating.
If your friends put you down, resist the urge to insult them back. This will not solve the problem; in fact, it will only make it worse and pit you even further against your friends. At the same time, don't run to your other friends and put down the other person behind their back. Be the better person and don't stoop to that level.

Examine your own behavior.
You might want to take a step back and consider how you treat your friends. Do you put them down? Do you tease them about their clothing, their hair, or the

When it's time to find new friends.
If your friends continue to put you down even after you speak with them and let them know that their behavior is hurtful to you, then the best thing you can do is make a break from the friendship. Friends should be bringing you up, not putting you down.

There are a couple of ways you can go about this. When your friends put you down, you can tell them calmly that you no longer consider yourself friends, as friends do not treat each other that way. Or, you can stop hanging out with them altogether. If they ask you why, be honest and tell them that you don't like being put down.

This can be difficult to do, but remember that "friends" who put you down are not true friends, and instead of putting up with their insults, use your time and energy to meet new friends.

Good friends can make life a lot more fun. They are also helpful to have around when you need someone to bring you up. But a friend who puts you down is not a friend. These tips will help you know what to do when friends put you down.