Dear Family Coach: My daughter is 16, and she has a good friend who identifies as bisexual. I try to be open-minded, but I get the feeling that this girl is hitting on my daughter. I hear certain comments and see some suggestions. This makes me very uncomfortable. What should I do? — Not Ready for Sex Mom

Dear Mom: You better get ready for sex because, sooner or later, it is coming your way. Sticking your head in the sand won't make hormones and desires hold off. It will just leave your daughter alone to fend for herself. Get a grip, and start talking to her.

Your question doesn't make it clear whether your issue is that your daughter may be fooling around or that she may be fooling around with a girl. If it is the former, you are in for a rough road. Sexual experimentation is age-appropriate for a teenager. All you can do is educate her, make sure she stays safe and make yourself available to her for questions. If the problem is the latter, you aren't as open-minded as you think.

Having a bisexual friend doesn't make your daughter bisexual, just like having a friend who is having sex doesn't mean that your daughter will have sex. Sexual identity is also not catchy like a virus. It's typical for adolescents to test the water, so to speak, before settling into a spot. Give your daughter room to see where she wants to be naturally without worrying about upsetting you. Otherwise she will just go underground with her feelings. Focus more on her finding a nice person to spend time with rather than that person's gender. Remember: What's most important is that a mate treats her nicely and loves and respects her.

Dear Family Coach: Our 9th-grade daughter has a new iPad because it is required for the program she is doing at school. She wants to keep it in her room. She says that is where she will do the majority of her work. I'd like to keep electronics out of her room, but she's putting on the hard sell. Is it all right to let her keep it in there? - Not So Sure Parents

Dear Parents: I offer you a hard no on keeping the iPad in your daughter's room. Here's why: It's portable. That's the whole point of a tablet. She should have no trouble doing as much work as she would like in her bedroom and then plugging the device in in the kitchen to charge overnight.

She may truly be thinking only about school right now. But believe me: If you let her keep that iPad in her room, homework will be just a fraction of what she does on it. An iPad is like a computer and a cellphone in one. It has apps and texting, and you can even make calls on it. It will be way too tempting for your daughter if the iPad starts beep-beep-beeping at night with texts from friends. And if she can't sleep, she will reach for the iPad to watch Netflix or scroll through pictures on Instagram. Before you know it, she will be staying up way past bedtime just to play and watch. You won't even know about it because you will be sleeping safe and sound in your room.

Avoid this mistake. Ignore any argument she gives you, and stick to your guns.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman, the founder of The Family Coach, LLC, advises parents on all matters of child rearing. To write to Dr. Pearlman, send her an email at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Catherine Pearlman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.