DR. WALLACE: My dad is a beer drinker on the weekends. He spends the whole weekend watching sports on television and drinking beer. He's a good father and works hard at the steel mill where he makes a good salary so our family can have a very nice lifestyle.

The problem is that I have a 13-year-old brother who gets into a lot of trouble at home and at school.

For the past several months I have seen him swipe beer from my dad's stash and he drinks them, too. Lately, I have been spying on him and when he steals two cans a day he drinks both of them. Then he always puts the empty cans in a brown paper sack and dumps them in a neighbor's garbage can.

When I confronted him he begged me not to "squeal" on him and said that he would stop stealing and drinking. Well, he still steals and drinks. I hate to be known as a squealer, but I'm going to tell our parents.

Is it possible my brother could actually already be addicted to beer? I think that he is too young, but I'm not sure. I've never actually seen my brother drunk. What do you think? — Nameless, Hobart, Ind.

NAMELESS: According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, children as young as ten have been classified as addicted to alcohol, and yes, a person can be addicted to alcohol and never become totally drunk.

Don't wait even one second longer. Inform your parents immediately about your brother's very harmful habit.

THE GUY I'M DATING IS A MAMA'S BOY

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and so is my boyfriend. He is an awesome guy and I respect him very much.

My concern is not with him, but with his mother. She grounds him for practically every little thing he does wrong. I'm sick and tired of driving him places because she took away his driving privileges. She punishes him when he does something she considers wrong, but when he does something good, there's no reward.

Another thing that annoys me is that when we are on a date, he must call his mama periodically to let her know where he is. His mother treats him like a child instead of a mature young man. Sometimes I get the feeling that she's blaming me when he comes home later than his curfew.

I think it's about time for me to have a "heart to heart" talk with his mother. He's a mama's boy and I need to find out if she will ever cut her "apron strings."

I thought my parents were strict, but this guy's mama is ridiculous! — Nameless, Peoria, Ill.

NAMELESS: Do not contact your boyfriend's mother regarding the rules she has enforced regarding dating. The rules his mother sets for her son are none of your concern.

Either accept him with the rules you don't care for, or move on and find a guy whose dating rules suit you better!

IS IT BAD TO DAYDREAM?

DR. WALLACE: I find myself daydreaming a lot. My grandmother, who lives with us, says I daydream because I don't have enough to do and if I'd study and help around the house more I'd be able to stop daydreaming. Is that true? Is it bad to daydream? — Kay, Oklahoma City, Okla.

KAY: Everybody daydreams. It's a perfectly natural activity, allowing us to escape the present moment and imagine an exciting and rewarding future. Carl Sandburg once wrote, "I believe in dreaming — at night and when the day is bright."

Daydreaming only becomes a problem when you actually prefer it to reality, and spend so much time in your imaginary world, that you fail to return to the reality of your own world.

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.