DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and dating a nice guy who my parents both like. Whenever we go out together, my parents have a rule that he has to come into the house and talk to them for 10 to 15 minutes, and sometimes, my younger sister comes out of her room and pushes her way into the conversation as well because she's nosy and likes to snoop all the time. The opportunity for her to witness these conversations and to even be allowed to chime in is too delicious for her to pass up.

My problem is that my younger sister is so childish that she embarrasses me and asks dumb, rude questions to my boyfriend like, "Have you kissed my sister yet?"

I told my parents that my sister embarrasses me and that they should tell her to stop being so childish. What makes things worse for me is that my boyfriend thinks my little sister is cute and harmless. He actually has told me that he doesn't mind her behavior, since she's just a kid. — Embarrassed Older Sister, via email

EMBARRASSED OLDER SISTER: Lighten up! Since your boyfriend isn't bothered by your sister's behavior, why should it bother you? I think you're blowing your sister's behavior out of proportion. It could be that she's actually inadvertently doing you a favor, since your parents by now have obviously noticed that your boyfriend rolls well with your sister's nosy questions. He's showing a calm maturity that your parents likely find reassuring.

Instead of being upset during her performance, just smile and gently shake your head, like you're pretending to be upset — but do so in a way that all in the room know you're not. You might even laugh and just move on without saying anything else. Look at her behavior as humorous!

We all could use a few more laughs these days in these difficult times. In fact, if your sister has some cute, clean jokes, have her send a couple to me. I'm always looking for fresh material!

SEE A DERMATOLOGIST ASAP

DR. WALLACE: Normally, I eat pretty healthy food and drink only fruit juices and water, but over the holidays, I ate a lot of cookies, junk food and sugary drinks. To my horror, my face started to break out right after Christmas! I've read in your column before that you say junk food is usually not a cause or source of complexion problems, but what I want to know is: Why do I have problems now? — Suddenly Facially Challenged, via email

SUDDENLY FACIALLY-CHALLENGED: Your complexion problems probably would have started even if you were on a healthy diet over the holidays and eliminated all junk food during that time period.

Clogged pores and changes in your body development are the main reasons that you have pimples right now. Food is not a main cause of complexion problems.

Your diet is indeed important. A nutritious, well-balanced diet can help the appearance of your skin. Once you notice a severe breakout, you should see a licensed dermatologist as soon as possible. Researchers have developed products that are highly effective in reducing and/or totally eliminating complexion problems.

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.

Photo credit: RitaE at Pixabay