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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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Teens are being Ripped OffDR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and have a part-time job two nights a week to help pay for my college expenses. My grandmother bought me (bless her) a used car for transportation to and from work. I'm pleased that the price of gasoline has declined lately. That really helps. But since I pay for my own insurance, I'm shocked at the premium, even for minimum protection. The agent said the price was high because I'm a teenager. The only reason he provided me with insurance at all was because my parents' cars are insured by his company. When I was taking driver's education classes, I learned that teens have the best eye-hand-foot coordination, and therefore are considered the best drivers possible. Since that's true, why do teens pay a higher car insurance premium? I think it's just another scam for ripping off teens. What do you think? — Erika, Atlanta. ERIKA: I wish it were a rip-off because that would mean that teens as a whole do, in fact, have safe driving records. But they don't, even though, as you point out, they have the physical dexterity to be the safest drivers on the road. They are inexperienced behind the wheel, and some are also emotionally immature and prone to taking foolish risks (a quality known as "youthful exuberance"). The result is that teens have more accidents per driver than any other age group. Insurance companies base their rates on accident averages, and the averages for teens are high. That's the reason your insurance rate is high. Consider yourself fortunate.
I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS ADOPTED DR. WALLACE: I'm a 15-year-old boy and live with my mother, father and grandmother. We are a good family, and we don't have a lot of problems. I love my family very much and know that they love me. Last week, I really was surprised. My grandmother got a letter from her friend in Miami, and by mistake she left it in my room on my bed. I shouldn't have read it, but curiosity got the best of me. In it, this friend told Grandmother that when my parents adopted me, they should have adopted another child soon after so that I wouldn't have been raised as an only child. This really caught me by surprise. I had no idea that I was adopted. In fact, my friends always told me that I looked like my father. What should I do, confront my parents about this or wait until they decide to tell me? I'm sure they will eventually. Or should I talk this over with my grandmother? — Nameless, Jacksonville, Fla. NAMELESS: Waiting will only cause you to wonder and speculate needlessly. Talk with your parents. Explain that you read Grandmother's letter, which was inadvertently left in your room, and that it said you are adopted. Tell them you love them very much and you want to know all they can tell you about your past. Don't discuss things with Grandmother for now. Direct all of your questions to Mom and Dad. 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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