DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I broke up the day before summer vacation because he was not being very nice to me. He stood me up on several occasions so he could spend more time with his buddies. He also said some very nasty things to me in front of other people. To be perfectly honest, I had a great summer without him.

When school started, I saw him for the first time since our breakup. He said he'd like to resume our relationship and was going to "be a good guy and treat me like a queen." I'm not too excited about going out with him again. I've lost all of my feelings for him, but I'd like to find out if he has changed and is really a good boy. Let's say I have a curious personality.

What do you think? Should I satisfy my curiosity or should I let bygones be bygones? — Sophia, Phoenix, Ariz.

SOPHIA: The key words of your email were "I've lost all of my feelings for him," and "I had a great summer without him." Let bygones be bygones!

P.S.: It would be good if he is now a "good guy." The world has "enough" bad guys.

YOU CAN'T VOTE ONE SECOND BEFORE AGE 18

DR. WALLACE: I found the letter from the 15-year-old Florida girl, who thought she was mature enough to date, most interesting. Her parents would not

let her date until she was 16, and she asked if she would suddenly turn into a mature, trustworthy teen the first second of her 16th birthday.

Well, I'd like to inform this young lady that she cannot register to vote one second before she turns 18, get a license to drive a motor vehicle one second before she turns 16, and she could not be sold alcoholic beverages one second before she turns 21. My point is that her parents have set an age of 16 as a starting time to go out on dates and she should abide by that rule. She should show real maturity by accepting this rather than whining about trying to date before she becomes 16.

Parents know what is best for their children. I should know. My husband and I are parents to 8 grown children, who are all honorable, law-abiding citizens. One of our rules was that our grown children could not date until their 16th birthday. That applied to both boys and girls. — Alice, Des Moines, Iowa.

ALICE: You make some very good points. Some might not agree with your reasoning, or that parents are right in all circumstances, but they can't argue with what you and your husband have accomplished. Raising 8 children to be good, productive citizens is a monumental achievement, which you couldn't have done without establishing rules and structure. Many teens have to learn that acceptance of a limitation is a greater mark of maturity than self-centered complaining.

YOU ASK, YOU PAY

DR. WALLACE: If a girl asks a boy on a date, who should pay the expenses? My dad says the girl should pay and my mom said that if the guy was a true gentleman, he would pay. What do you say? — Morella, Goshen, Ind.

MORELLA: The person who does the inviting should be the one who picks up the tab. It's not debatable!

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.