DR. WALLACE: I'm just an average student with average grades. This makes me wonder if I will always be average at everything in my life. I'm used to being overlooked in high school because I'm so average. Am I now destined to a lifetime of being very average? — Worried About This, via email

WORRIED ABOUT THIS: Absolutely not! You may be experiencing an average high school academic career, but I have little doubt that many of the subjects you're currently studying may be boring to you.

Once you exit high school and make decisions on what you would like to do with the rest of your life, you'll have the opportunity to enter into some fields that truly interest you. We all have special talents and abilities that sometimes remain dormant or hidden for periods of time. Keep your chin up, your eyes and ears open, and look for opportunities in life in which you can excel due to your interest in the subject matter.

We are all average in most areas of our lives, but nobody usually notices since we are usually most visible in the areas that we find interesting and spend the most time working in. I trust yours will soon be revealed, so be ready when opportunities present themselves.

MY MOTHER FREAKS ME OUT WHEN SHE DOES THIS

DR. WALLACE: I love my parents a lot, but my mom especially has a really strange way of treating me if I disobey her. I do try to follow our family rules, but there are times that there are circumstances out of my control and I'll be 15 minutes late for a family curfew, for example.

When this happens, she gives me the silent treatment and won't talk to me until she feels that I have been taught a lesson! This sometimes lasts two or three days and this really hurts my feelings. She even serves dinner silently, which is beyond bizarre.

I have tried to tell her before that I don't like this, but she won't seem to drop this behavior. Is this normal for a parent to go silent when they are disappointed? — Don't Like This at All, via email

DON'T LIKE THIS AT ALL: I feel for you and am sorry you are going through this. For an adult (or anyone) to give a child (or anyone) the "silent treatment" is a form of abuse.

When you are being ignored, this can cause for some individuals a similar chemical reaction in the brain as being physically hurt.

Discuss this matter with your father, an aunt or uncle or any other trusted adult in your life. It's important that you are not abused in this manner, as it is indeed not healthy for you or for your relationship with your parents. Your mother is likely using this tool in an attempt to control your future behavior, but as you pointed out, there are some circumstances in life that are beyond your immediate control. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be reprimanded, but what I am saying is you should not be punished in this manner.

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: Graphy Co at Unsplash