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Should I Spend Two Years Dateless?
DR. WALLACE: I'm 17, and the guy that I love is 19 and is in the military service. I love him with all of my heart and soul, and he says that he feels the same way about me. We constantly talk about getting married when he gets discharged in three …Read more.
The High Cost of Prom Dresses
TEENS: It's prom time, and millions of teens are preparing to attend the grandest of all school-sponsored events. As a senior at Emerson High School in Gary, Ind., the only money I needed to have a wonderful experience was about $75. I already owned …Read more.
You Could Be Behind Bars
DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and so is Lori, my so-called girlfriend. We had been going steady for a year, but we broke up two days before we graduated. Our first nine months were super, but we had lots of problems the last three. The last straw was when she …Read more.
Congratulations on Your Grade-Point Average
DR. WALLACE: I will be graduating from high school in less than a month. I'm a very good student and have been accepted at Yale University. I will be attending Yale in September.
But I feel very disappointed that I was not selected as the …Read more.
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Teens Lack Experience as DriversDR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and recently successfully completed my drivers training course. This means that I can now get my driver's license, which also means my parents will buy me a used car so I can drive myself to my part-time job being a food server. I'm grateful that my parents will pay for my car, but they are making me responsible for paying for the necessary insurance. I checked with the company that insures my parents' two cars and was shocked at the cost. My driving instructor said that I was an excellent driver and an outstanding student. So please don't tell me that the rates are high for teens because their driving habits are poor! —Julie, Highland, Ind. JULIE: It's never fair to be lumped into a statistical group, but that's how the insurance company determines rates. Insurance premiums are calculated on the percentage of accidents in each age group. And unfortunately, the age group you're in (16- to 24-year-olds) while making up only 20 percent of the country's licensed drivers, is involved in 42 percent of all alcohol-related fatal crashes. Teens have the physical skills to be excellent drivers, but lack of experience and youthful exuberance cause trouble on the highway. I LOVE MY MOTHER VERY MUCH DR. WALLACE: I'm a 16-year-old girl, and my brother is 12. We both live with our mother. Our father doesn't live with us. My concern is that my mother shows favoritism towards my brother. She constantly hugs him and tells him that she loves him. This makes me feel like she doesn't love me and that I'm not even part of the family.
NAMELESS: Sometimes the written word can be the most effective form of communication. Your mother, after she reads your message, will answer your prayer. I APPLAUD YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DR. WALLACE: I'm an A student and academics are very important to me. I plan to be a medical doctor after completing all of my schooling. Our high school has a class on the evils of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. All students are required to take this two-week course in place of physical education. I don't smoke, drink or take drugs and I doubt seriously that I ever will, so I'm very upset that I must take this class. I've learned all about this stuff from my parents. Why is the school teaching about them? —Nameless, New York, N.Y. NAMELESS: Schools educate their students in certain nonacademic subjects when there is need to do so. Your parents are wise in discussing these addictive products with you, but many parents have not done so. Personally, I applaud your high school for requiring this course. 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. Email 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 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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