DR. WALLACE: During the holidays, my younger brother moved in with my husband and me because his parents are going through a nasty divorce right now. He's in 11th grade and is an honor student, so we were happy to have him visit here until the end of this school year — that is, until we received our telephone bill!

It seems that my little brother had been calling a sexy "party-chat line" from our landline telephone that we keep only for emergencies. Apparently, he had been discussing risque topics with a lady who did everything she could to keep him on the line to get more and more money out of him. This month's bill is over $350, and I don't even want to mention this entire situation at all to our parents.

I called the phone company and explained that he is a minor and he shouldn't be responsible for paying the bill. However, they said it didn't matter. We had to pay it, or they would send us to collections.

I did end up confronting my brother about his phone calls, and he said he "was sorry" to me and then quickly retreated to his room and shut the door. I think he was sorry that he got caught and maybe a bit embarrassed, but he made no effort at all to help us to try to pay off this huge bill he caused due to his abhorrent behavior. Do you think I should make him get a part-time job to pay us back for this? After all, we are providing him free room and board, including regular good family meals, plus all the healthy snacks he can devour in between — which is a lot. —- Shocked Older Sister, via email

SHOCKED OLDER SISTER: I do believe you should inform your parents about what happened here. Since he is likely to remain at your home for the rest of this school year, you do have time to work out a solution for him to pay you back. The financial pinch he will feel is an important part of his learning process in rectifying his mistake.

As you inform your parents, be honest with them. Tell them he indeed made a mistake but that you'll keep a closer eye on him going forward. In addition, mention that you plan to pay the bill for him but, going forward, you'll seek to help him find work on the weekends to pay you back for these very high telephone bills.

This way, your parents will deservedly be in the loop on his situation, including your plans to help him work off his debt. If they have any problem with this, they will have the option of paying his debt for him, if, for example, they are concerned time spent working might cut into his study time. Your comeback, of course, would be that if he had time to chat on the phone for hours, he has a few hours each weekend to work instead.

DAD NEVER LIKES THE GUYS I DATE

DR. WALLACE: I'm a teen girl who has been dating for a year now, and I've gone out with three different guys over this time. The guy I'm dating right now is pretty serious about building a future with me.

My mom and dad have met all of my dates in advance of us going on each first date. My mom has liked each one of them, but my dad did not think much of any of them — both before and after the time period I dated these boys.

These guys have all been nice, and each gets good grades in school. My father is a very critical person, so he finds things that he says are wrong with every single one of the guys I have brought home.

What can I do to get my grouchy dad to ease up on his constant criticism of everyone I spend time with? It's frustrating to know what he's going to say in advance — no matter whom I bring home! — Frustrated Daughter

FRUSTRATED DAUGHTER: No matter whom you date, your father will indeed probably find some reason to complain about him. That is actually a common trait of many fathers, who see their prime parental role as providing a layer of protection for their daughters. Many fathers also remember how they and/or their close male friends were as young men.

The only way to get Dad to relax is for him to get to know the guy you're dating pretty well. The better he knows him, the more likely he will accept a young man who shows good, consistent behavior when it comes to interacting with you. Invite your parents to various activities with both you and your boyfriend. The more familiar your dad is with your young male friend, the more he may begin to trust and accept him — given that your boyfriend indeed is well behaved and keeps your best interests and safety as his prime concern.

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 [email protected]. 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.

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