This brand of female friendship is too familiar -- where one's always in the spotlight and another's in the shadows.

The phrase "can I ____?" will take you a long way.

It's a model for female friendship that minimizes comparison and maximizes confidence.

Imagine a strong female character without the usual accompanying toxicity.

The monthly tradition serves up social and intellectual stimulation.

Ride-or-die relationships don't have to be romantic.

A struggling teen isn't necessarily a lonely one.

I grew up with Sex and The City. There is a generation of us SATC girls who classified ourselves as Mirandas, Charlottes, Carries and Samanthas. We all believed in BFFs and sistas before mistas, and more. And then we grew up, thankfully 

PROBLEM: Okay, so I have a “girl gang” group chat. But one of the girls always has to make it about herself! If she is going on a date, we need to know. If her day is going badly, then we 

PROBLEM: A friend of mine has recently shut me out on social media. We’re still friends on Facebook, cordial whenever we speak and we never really had any kind of altercation or falling-out. But why did she unfollow me on Instagram and 

PROBLEM: I’ve got a friend with major elevator eyes. Every time we meet, she looks me up and down, and then makes a comment about something I’m wearing, or my appearance. She’s not being mean, her comments are innocuous at worst, 

PROBLEM: I have a friend who won’t stop posting selfies of her in bikinis and other over-the-top selfies on her social media. I’m fairly certain this is a desperate bid for attention, but her glamour selfies are getting a bit embarrassing. 

Making friends is one of the most important social development goals for children. And it’s something I hear parents worry about a lot; “My son has no friends,” they will say, or “My daughter has no friends.” When a child 

PROBLEM: I have a friend in a new relationship, and she and her boyfriend take public displays of affection to a new level. When I’m out to dinner with them, I can see her stroking his leg under the table. Any time 

PROBLEM: I have a friend who always assumes she’s invited to casual get-togethers. Like, if some people are discussing a games night, later, she’ll mention that she has a conflict and can’t make it … when she hadn’t even been part 

A 29-year-old tells me for the past four months she has been mourning a friendship breakup with her best friend. “Is it normal for people to take so long to deal with the loss of a friendship?” she wonders in one 

Dear Swaddle Team: I work with a girl, who recently announced she’s taking up taxidermy as a hobby. A few days later, she told me that she had purchased formaldehyde to get started. She told me her first project is