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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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The Teacher was Found Innocent of ChargesDR. WALLACE: About a year ago, one of my closest friends accused one of our male teachers of having sex with her. The case eventually went to court, and the jury found the teacher not guilty. This makes my girlfriend look like she was lying, and I'm sure she wasn't. While he was on trial, the teacher was on a paid leave of absence. And now that he was found innocent, he's back teaching at our school. I think this is a disgrace because deep down in my heart I know he is guilty. Also, he is a very bad teacher. He never smiles and gives tons of homework. Most of the kids at our school feel he should be fired. — Nameless, New York. NAMELESS: I realize that a case like this will be discussed endlessly by the entire student body and most students will form an opinion. But the bottom line is that the teacher was found innocent in a court of law and therefore is entitled to return to teaching. And the amount of homework he gives has nothing to do with it! I DON'T LIKE BEING IN BED FOR 10 HOURS DR. WALLACE: I'm 13. My parents make me go to bed at 9 p.m. on school nights because they say that growing teens need a minimum of 10 hours of sleep every night. On the weekends, I must be in bed by 10 p.m. and can't get up until 8 a.m. or later. They keep telling me that any extra sleep I get will help me later on, when I won't be able to get a full 10 hours. But I don't like spending 10 hours in bed. Instead of feeling refreshed when I get up, I feel groggy. How many hours of sleep does a growing 13-year-old boy need? My parents read your column, so I know they will change my in-bed time if you feel 10 hours is overkill.
CARLOS: Sleep is essential for all of us, especially for maturing teens, but a rigidly imposed sleeping schedule that leaves a person feeling groggy is not a boon to health. Sleep can't be stored up in the same manner that food (fat) can, so an excess of sleep is essentially wasted. Simply put, everyone is different. Not all teens require the same amount of sleep to function at maximum energy. People should listen to what their own bodies tell them they need. But doctors who specialize in sleep disorders do say that, as a rule of thumb, most 13-year-olds should have nine hours of sleep per night. GOING BAREFOOT IS GOOD FOR YOU DR. WALLACE: I go barefoot whenever possible. My grandmother keeps telling my mother that eventually I will become flat-footed unless I keep my shoes on. I'm 12 and my feet are not flat. Is it possible that my grandmother is wrong this time? — Brent, Moncton, New Brunswick. BRENT: The only problem in going barefoot is the possibility of cuts and punctures. Other than that, it's good for you. Going shoeless contributes to the foot's ligament, muscle and even bone development. When young people walk or run barefoot on a level surface, they're actually less prone to sprained ankles, according to Dr. Alvin Crawford of Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. 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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