DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 and my 9-year-old brother has a big problem. He has a very foul mouth and he is constantly using it. I think it's a very uncouth habit, but my parents think it's cute that he swears. When I discuss the problem with my parents they laugh and say that he is just going through a phase and that he will grow out of it. If that's true, how long will it take? I'm embarrassed to bring my friends over to our house because of my brother's "salty" vocabulary. — Sister, Cleveland, Ohio

SISTER: Your brother is not going through a "phase," therefore he won't "grow" out of it. Your parents are doing him a disfavor when they laugh at his swearing. The best way to stop the habit is for them to demand that his vocabulary improve and punish him if it doesn't.

Make sure mom and dad get the opportunity to read my response.

HER HEALTH IS AT RISK

DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 and live in a smoke-free home. My parents do not smoke and I like it that way. Sherry is my best friend. The times I visited her house, I thought I would choke to death. Both her parents and her older brother are chain smokers. After a few visits, I chose not to return. Sherry still visits my house, but is curious why I won't visit her house any more. I've stalled about telling her the reason because I didn't want her to feel bad.

Do you think I should continue to stall or should I just be blunt and tell her I can't stand the smoke in her house? - Kayla, Philadelphia, Penn.

KAYLA: By all means, tell her! Sherry's own health is also at risk. This is a far more important matter than whether her feelings get hurt. Let her know that the secondhand smoke in her house has caused breathing problems for you and for the sake of your health you no longer can subject yourself to it. Tell her you'll be glad to visit her again if her parents and brother stop smoking indoors. For Sherry's sake, I hope this happens soon.

I FOUND MYSELF ALONE IN A MOTEL

DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and my boyfriend is 19. We went to a party and had a huge argument and he took off and left me there. I really got ticked and decided to get drunk. I did a good job of it. When I awoke, I found myself alone in a motel. When I checked, I was told that a guy and a girl brought me there and had paid cash for the room. I don't know who they were, but I appreciate that they took me somewhere where I'd be safe and could sleep it off. I called my boyfriend to pick me up. He did, but now he is accusing me of spending the night with a guy. What can I do to convince him that this did not happen?— Nameless, Newport Beach, Calif.

NAMELESS: Getting "bombed" drinking alcohol was not a wise decision. Once your boyfriend left, you should have called a relative or a friend and asked for a ride home. Your boyfriend made a serious mistake by leaving you stranded, but you used extremely poor judgment by getting drunk. You told your boyfriend that nothing happened at the motel, and if he doesn't choose to believe you, it's his problem. This might be a good time to end this relationship!

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 [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: Blake Pleasant