Dear Rachel: My Best Friends Are Immature

Dear Rachel,I have two best friends. They mean the world to me and I've known them since I was three! The only problem is, I feel like I'm starting to be more mature—personality-wise, their sense of humor is more immature than mine, and I feel like we are slowly growing apart. I have tried to find the things they see funny in a different way, but it's all just stupid! I never want to lose their friendship, because I can tell them anything and they know everything about me. I feel more like their babysitter than their BFF! What should I do?–Gia Hey Gia,Here's the thing I wish every girl knew deep down in her soul, like the way she knows she's alive: friendships change. People are like plants: they grow up, grow down, and grow sideways, and they don't always grow together.I'm guessing you have some new friends waiting in the wings who have more in common with you than your old besties. No shame there. But your old friends will have feelings about you moving on. The way you handle it will affect your future with them, so listen up.

First, be honest with your old friends. Don't act like things haven't changed. Be up front and tell them that you feel like you've grown apart in some ways. You can say you feel like you have different things you like and want to do. It's not their fault, but you want to hang out with other people, too.

Second, if you really want to stay friends with the old besties, don't talk trash about them with the new girls in your life. It may be tempting, but you'll pay for it later, believe me.Bottom line is this: everyone's relationships change. The question is how you handle it. Girls are prone to denying the stuff that makes them uncomfortable. We can be really mean and pretend like it never happened, or avoid the truth if we're afraid it'll hurt someone. But whatever you to do avoid pain at first will come back much worse later. It's true in all areas of life—trust me on that. Good luck!This post originally appeared on teenvogue.com