'Tween 12 and 20 from Creators Syndicate

Many 15-Year-Olds Can't Date for 10/30/2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and my girlfriend is 15, and we have been going steady for about three months. We used to date every Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Now her mom thinks we're seeing too much of each other and is insisting that we date only one weekend night and see each other for no more than three hours on Sunday.

My girlfriend and I feel like little kids under these ...

Updated: Fri Oct 30, 2009

I Feel Lost Without Television for 10/31/2009

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DR. WALLACE: I'm 14 and live with my parents and a younger sister. My parents are very strict and religious. My sister and I are being home-taught by our mother. I miss going to school with other kids, but I will admit that my sister and I learn a lot.

My reason for writing is that we don't have a television in our house because my parents don't approve of the programs that are available ...

Updated: Sat Oct 31, 2009

Gay Teen Pleads for Acceptance for 11/02/2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 17-year-old guy and I'm gay. Being gay, I am aware that gay guys have the highest suicide percentage of all teens. The reason why is that we are ostracized by mainstream heterosexual America. We are ridiculed, hated, despised and persecuted. No wonder we can't find comfort and peace in this godless world. Suicide has crossed my mind several times, but my faith in God made me ...

Updated: Mon Nov 02, 2009

Drugs Kill More People than Traffic Crashes for 11/03/2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

TEENS: The use of illegal drugs in the United States continues to expand at an alarming rate. In 16 states and counting, drugs kill more people than automobile crashes, according to data recently released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts say this dramatic statistic is because driving is safer and the use of powerful prescription painkillers is on the rise. Traffi ...

Updated: Tue Nov 03, 2009

Pack Up and Move Out for 11/04/2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and so is my boyfriend. We have been dating for over three years and are supposed to be in love. That's why we're living together. I work from 9 to 5 on weekdays and Michael works from noon to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Instead of coming home after work, he goes out with his buddies.

Sometimes he doesn't get home until after 1 a.m. I can't sleep until he gets ...

Updated: Wed Nov 04, 2009

I'm 15 and Developed Better than Most 21-Year-Olds for 11/05/2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm a very mature 15-year-old young woman. I'm a bright student and physically developed better than most 21-year-old women. I enjoy reading classical novels, listening to classical music and engaging in stimulating conversation. I also enjoy being in the company of guys who can discuss things other than who is the best band or the best football team. Dating guys other than my clas ...

Updated: Thu Nov 05, 2009

When Can I be Sure that I'm in Love? for 11/06/2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm really confused about being in love. I'm 15 and fell in love with Bobby when I was 14. I felt that someday we would get married. Then I met Carl. I soon forgot all about Bobby, and Carl was my true love. That lasted about two months, until I met my cousin at a family reunion. It was love at first sight for both of us. We kept our romance alive even though we lived over 400 mile ...

Updated: Fri Nov 06, 2009

Your Mom has Relaxed Rules; Carl's Mom is Structured for 11/07/2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I are both 17. We have a problem with his mother. She is old-fashioned and not in harmony with today's society. She has made dating rules that both my boyfriend and I think are unreasonable and unfair. Carl cannot be out past 8:30 p.m. on a school night. On the weekend, he has an 11 p.m. curfew, regardless of what's happening.

Her reason for this early curfe ...

Updated: Sat Nov 07, 2009

Your Question is Difficult to Answer for 11/09/2009

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. ROBERT WALLACE: Which eating disorder is worse, anorexia nervosa or bulimia? I have a cousin who is anorexic and her sister is bulimic. Our family can't decide who is worse off. — Juliet, Elkhart, Ind.

JULIET: Your question is difficult to answer. It's like asking who has the more serious injury, the person with a broken hand or the one with a broken foot. It all depends. To a ...

Updated: Mon Nov 09, 2009

The Gun Fires Only Blanks for 11/10/2009

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: Someone told school authorities that I had a gun stashed in my locker, and it was searched illegally by the principal and school nurse. What they found was a starter pistol, which fires blanks, not bullets, and is used to start races. I brought it to school just to show off, not to do harm, but I have been expelled from school for the rest of the year.

I've been told by an a ...

Updated: Tue Nov 10, 2009

Loud Music Damages Hearing for 11/11/2009

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I am a drummer in a start-up heavy metal band. We practice in my uncle's empty warehouse. At times we can be pretty loud, but fortunately, we're in an area with many empty factories and no people.

My parents want me to wear earplugs when we practice. I tried them, but they threw me off my beat, so I abandoned them. I'm 17 and can hear perfectly. I know some people say that l ...

Updated: Wed Nov 11, 2009

I Would Like to Date Other Guys Now for 11/12/2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and in my first year at the University of New Hampshire. My boyfriend is in his second year here. We started dating in high school and have been together going on three years.

Greg will be spending his third year at a university in Glasgow, Scotland, studying international law. Since we have been going together, Greg is the only guy I've been with and I'm the only fem ...

Updated: Thu Nov 12, 2009

When Pets Speak ... for 11/13/2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I have a most unusual, faithful and loving pet, a dog named Poochie. Poochie can actually speak words that our family can understand. When strangers are present, he doesn't say a word. All he does to attract attention is to bark and wag his tail.

Awhile back you printed a letter from a reader who said her dog could speak English. Is it possible that you would be so kind and ...

Updated: Fri Nov 13, 2009

Seek Professional Help for Depression for 11/14/2009

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: My older brother, 17, always seems depressed. My mother tells everyone in the family to leave him alone because he is going through a "phase" and soon will outgrow it. I hope this is true because I worry about him. He has been this way for almost a year. Is what mom says true? I think he needs some sort of treatment. — Sharon, Ontario, Ore.

SHARON: People suf ...

Updated: Sat Nov 14, 2009

Your Boyfriend Has Crossed the Line for 11/16/2009

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: Last year, my grandmother visited Ireland and stayed at a bed and breakfast in Galway. The family that ran the B & B was really nice. Their son asked my grandmother if she could hook him up with a female pen pal from California. She told him about me.

When Grandma told me about Terrance, I told her I'd like to have an Irish pen pal, so I wrote to him first. We have been ...

Updated: Mon Nov 16, 2009

Do As I Say, Not As I Do for 11/17/2009

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and recently graduated from high school. My boyfriend is 20 and works for his grandfather in the construction of new homes. He still lives at home with his parents, but he wants the two of us to get our own apartment and live together. I have the opportunity to work full time in an upscale restaurant. I worked part time during my senior year and now they want me to work full ...

Updated: Tue Nov 17, 2009

Marijuana Use is Unhealthy and Unwise for 11/18/2009

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and have been smoking marijuana for over five years. A close friend introduced me to "pot" and I am thankful that he did. I truly enjoy getting high on "weed." I only use marijuana when I am positive that smoking "pot" will not place me or any other living thing in danger. That means 90 percent of the time I get high at home.

I heard a le ...

Updated: Wed Nov 18, 2009

Vibrating Belts do not Melt Body Fat for 11/19/2009

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and have excess fat on my upper legs, commonly known among females as "saddle bags." I've tried every kind of exercise possible to eliminate this fat, but nothing has worked.

A friend told me that her mother got rid of her saddle bags by purchasing a vibrating belt, which melted the fat away. Is this a way to eliminate excess fat? If so, I'll purchase the vi ...

Updated: Thu Nov 19, 2009

Wearing a Seat Belt can Save a Life for 11/20/2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: This letter is directed to teens who travel in a motor vehicle. Please buckle up, regardless of where you sit or how short the trip might be. Several weeks ago, I stopped at the scene of a violent automobile crash. Having medical training, I thought I might offer aid and comfort before the police and the emergency crew arrived.

I approached one of the vehicles in the crash ...

Updated: Fri Nov 20, 2009

Alcoholics Can Never be Social Drinkers for 11/21/2009

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DR. WALLACE: My father is definitely an alcoholic. He continues to work only because his boss is his best friend. I even heard the boss tell my dad that if he didn't cut down on his alcohol consumption, he might be forced to fire him.

The problem is that my dad won't admit he drinks too much, too often. He considers himself to be a social drinker. That's because he thinks he can control ...

Updated: Sat Nov 21, 2009