Friendship in Maturing Brodie

BRO’s own Friendship pieces for Maturing Brodie, newest first. All of Maturing Brodie →

This section is for 13 to 17. There is no dating, no messaging strangers and no adult content anywhere in it. If anything here worries you, talk to a parent, a teacher or another adult you trust.

GuideNina CastellanOct 21, 20265 min

How to say no to a friend and still be friends Monday

The long, apologetic explanation is what makes a no go badly. Short and warm works better, and it keeps the friendship intact.

Watch what happens right after you tell someone no

The clearest test of whether a friend or a guy respects you takes about ten seconds, and you can run it this week without saying a word about it.

GuideNina CastellanOct 1, 20266 min

The phone-free Saturday works when you don't call it that

How to get your friends to put their phones in a basket for a day, what to actually do, and how to get through the weird first hour.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideNina CastellanOct 1, 20266 min

A 30-day screen reset that plans for the day you'll want to quit

Anyone can go quiet for a day. This plan is built for day four, the group chat, and the night you're bored out of your mind.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

6 min read

Start a weekly pickleball game with your friends and keep it

You don't need to be sporty, rich or good at it. You need four people, two paddles, a free park court and a day of the week that's yours.

Poll

What was (or will be) your first job?

GuideNina CastellanSep 26, 20265 min

What your friends do after you say no tells you everything

Your standards aren't the hard part. The hard part is the second and third ask, and the people who keep making them.

Community

What made your men’s group stick when others faded?

Write your answer

GuideNina CastellanSep 26, 20266 min

"Nah, I'm good" is a complete sentence

Saying no to a vape isn't the hard part. The reason you give and the ten minutes after it are where most girls get stuck.

BRO TakeNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

Being a girl isn't a thing you have to work around

The strongest woman you know is almost never the loudest person in the room, and you don't have to put down other girls to be worth something.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

How to spot an eating disorder and who to tell

The signs are mostly behavior, not body size, and the right move is telling a grown-up today, not watching for another month.

GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

Anxiety doesn't always feel like worrying

The stomachaches, the flat weeks and the 3 a.m. replays are part of it. What to watch for, and the exact words to use when you tell someone.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

Ask it

GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20265 min

What to say when a girl is cruel and everyone's watching

Not the comeback you rehearse at midnight. The boring, flat answer that ends it in public and costs you absolutely nothing.

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GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

How to say no to a friend and still have the friend

The sentence you decide on now, before your phone buzzes at midnight and you say yes again.

Poll

Best way to spend a Saturday?

GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20265 min

What to actually do when your friend is struggling

Most people freeze, say "let me know if you need anything," and wait. You can do better than that, and it isn't complicated.

Community

Which tool have you owned longest, and would you buy it again?

Write your answer

GuideNina CastellanSep 22, 20266 min

What to do when your school doesn't have your club

Your school's activity list isn't the whole map. Most of the good stuff happens at the library, the rec department and the church hall.

GuideNina CastellanSep 22, 20266 min

Starting over when your friendship group falls apart

Groups end. The way back isn't finding another group — it's finding one person, twice a week, for about six weeks.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

6 min

The friends you want are already in a room you haven't walked into

5 min

Joining a team or club when everyone already knows each other

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideNina CastellanSep 22, 20265 min

A photo isn't a person, so stop competing with one

The image you keep measuring yourself against was made, not captured — and there's a practical way to stop losing to it.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

The grad night plan you make three days early

Grad night goes wrong in the same four ways every year. All of them are fixable before you leave the house.

Poll

What helps most on a hard day?

Older articles

Friendship in Maturing Brodie

How to say no to a friend and still be friends Monday

How to be the friend their mom invites back

Notice who you are an hour after you leave them

Your paycheck runs out in the first 72 hours, not on Friday

The group hangout is the upgrade, not the backup plan

Control usually shows up looking like devotion

Watch what happens right after you tell someone no

The phone-free Saturday works when you don't call it that

A 30-day screen reset that plans for the day you'll want to quit

Start a weekly pickleball game with your friends and keep it

What your friends do after you say no tells you everything

"Nah, I'm good" is a complete sentence

Being a girl isn't a thing you have to work around

How to spot an eating disorder and who to tell

Anxiety doesn't always feel like worrying

What to say when a girl is cruel and everyone's watching

How to say no to a friend and still have the friend

What to actually do when your friend is struggling

What to do when your school doesn't have your club

Starting over when your friendship group falls apart

The friends you want are already in a room you haven't walked into

Joining a team or club when everyone already knows each other

A photo isn't a person, so stop competing with one

The grad night plan you make three days early