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Love Is the Key to Successful Parenting
DR. WALLACE: I am a single parent of an 11-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. I had a lot of problems as a teen because my parents were super lenient in controlling me. Let's say I could do almost anything that I wanted with no questions asked.…Read more.
Give Intelligent Young Women a Break
DR. WALLACE: I'm angry that you encourage all girls, even the mentally, emotionally and physically mature young women who happen to be teenagers, not to get involved with older guys. You are dead wrong in your assumption that older guys and teenage …Read more.
Open and Honest Conversation Is Paramount
DR. WALLACE: Please tell me what to do. I'm 20, married three years and the mother of a 2-year-old son. I love my husband very much, but I'm lonely and depressed. My husband works 12 to 16 hours, 6 days a week. I have no friends, no job and no time …Read more.
My Friend's Mother Helps Her Cheat
DR. WALLACE: We have homework four days a week in world history. I do all my homework by myself, but my best friend's mother helps her with hers. I average a B on my homework, but my friend averages an A. I don't believe this is fair. Both of us are …Read more.
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It's Your Body, but Your Parent's ResponsibilityDR. WALLACE: I accidentally left my diary out. My mother read it and found out that my boyfriend and I are having sex. Now I'm on restriction and am not supposed to have any contact whatsoever with my boyfriend. I'm 16 and have a woman's body. It's all mine. If I choose to have sex, that's my business, not anyone else's, including my mother's. I love this guy and having intercourse is the ultimate way to show true love. We use protection so I won't get pregnant. We deserve praise, not punishment. — Nameless, Abingdon, Ill. NAMELESS: It's your body, but it's your mother's responsibility to make sure you treat it properly. Mom made the right decision and I commend her. I'm happy to hear that you used protection. But you should know that condoms are not 100 percent effective and an unwanted pregnancy could still occur. You also, at age 16, have no idea of the emotional risk you are running with sexual experimentation. Sex is not a recreational activity; it is an act of love between husband and wife. Those who wait, and there are many who do, also believe it's their body and their life, but they are happy they overcame the pressures to become sexually active before they were married. YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO BE A GIFTED STUDENT DR. WALLACE: I'll be 14 when I attend high school this fall. I have a very strong religious conviction. I don't do drugs, drink alcohol, smoke or use bad language. Here in my junior high, my classmates consider me to be a nerd because I'm not good at athletics. I'm rather awkward and am considered to be a "brain." I'm a straight-A student who spends my spare time listening to classical music and surfing the Internet. I don't have any friends because I have nothing in common with other kids who are labeled as nerds.
NAMELESS: Believe me, high school will be a brand new world! You'll have plenty of opportunities to break out of your sense of isolation and begin connecting with people. My main advice is to get involved in extracurricular activities. This is how you'll meet other students who share your interests. Most high schools offer a wide array of activities, ranging from the school newspaper and yearbook to Spanish Club and Amnesty International. When I was a principal in Garden Grove, Calif., we had over 50 clubs available to students. All it took to form a new club was to find a teacher to supervise the after-school meetings, and then get it approved by the administration. If you can't find an extracurricular activity that appeals to you, ask if you can start a classical music or Internet club. I also suggest that you vow to expand your horizons. Go to sporting events and school plays. You might even consider joining a club that's outside your comfort zone. Take a chance! Above all, don't simply do nothing and feel sorry for yourself. You are indeed fortunate to be a gifted student. Your future is bright! Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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