Dear Ariella B.,

When school began I was really excited when I realized I was in all the same classes as my best friend, Miriam. She’s a really nice girl but struggles in school. When she started getting perfect scores on her homework I was surprised. But then I accidentally peeked at her homework sheet and realized that the handwriting wasn’t hers. It looks suspiciously like her mother’s. Then to top it off, whenever she gets called on in class, she never knows the answer.

I think she might be cheating on her homework. What should I do? Should I tell the teacher and risk betraying my best friend?

Sincerely,
Conflicted Carly

Dear Conflicted Carly,

I get that this may be a very hard and conflicting situation. You want to help your friend, but you are not sure if you should keep this to yourself or tell someone else: your best friend, the teacher, your parent … What to do?

Discuss your best friend’s homework woes very, very, very gently with her. Tell her that her mother should not be doing her homework. What she is doing is not right and will not help her learn.

If confronting her embarasses you or makes you feel uncomfortable, then don’t. You’d also be right to just keep your thoughts to yourself. You don’t know for sure that she is guilty. Stay in your lane. Don’t mind her business, mind your own.

In either case, have a great Rosh Hashanah. It’s a new year anyway and there’s no homework.

Until next year,

Ariella B.

Ariella is an elementary student who wants to help you with your problems. She can be reached with your questions at [email protected]