DR. WALLACE: When my 15-year-old son is in his room or other parts of the house, he usually doesn't have a shirt on, especially in the summertime. I don't usually mind this at all since he's a good kid and he does have a tendency to sweat on his shirts when it's hot.

But when family or friends are over, I always ask him to put a shirt on. My son usually gives me some attitude when I politely ask him to do this. He thinks he should be able to remain shirtless no matter who comes into and out of our house. His favorite line is, "Well, I live here, and they don't!"

I don't think I should have to ask him; he should know by now to wear a shirt when visitors arrive at our house. I just think it's polite to have a shirt on when other people are visiting our house. What is your opinion on this topic? — Mom who prefers shirts in public, via email

MOM WHO PREFERS SHIRTS IN PUBLIC: Under the circumstances that you are describing, I do agree it would be appropriate for your son to put a shirt on when "company" is over.

It's a common social courtesy, and it's never too early for you to point out and teach social graces to your children.

I'M EMBARRASSED THAT I DON'T BRING BIRTHDAY GIFTS TO PARTIES

DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 years old and just started seventh grade at my new middle school. I want to have friends and be sociable, and so far, I have made a lot of nice friends. But I think my family is poor. This past weekend was the second time I've gone to a birthday party for one of my friends without a gift to give to the friend celebrating the birthday.

My mom will let me go to birthday parties, but she doesn't have enough money to buy a present to give.

I love the fun of these parties but at the same time I feel really awkward. So now I'm thinking that maybe I should just quit going to future birthday parties so that I can avoid the embarrassment of not presenting a gift. — No extra cash, via email

NO EXTRA CASH: You can still bring something to the party if you think creatively and plan in advance. Perhaps you could bake cookies or create a nice or funny picture, for example. Find out what interests or hobbies each birthday friend has; maybe you could find some used books or magazines on these topics at a secondhand or thrift store.

To pay for a small, inexpensive gift, you might ask a friendly neighbor if you could do some work such as household chores or light yardwork. Be sure to get your parents' approval in advance to do this.

Children need to be social and enjoy each other's company, so please continue to attend these parties. In any case, always remember that your attendance and friendship is the greatest gift of all.

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: MabelAmber at Pixabay