DR. WALLACE: My father just got laid off from his job, and this has me worried. Does this now mean that our family is poor? Will we soon have to become homeless people? I just turned 13 and now I'm very concerned that I will lose all my possessions and my clothing.

My mother has started to now look for a job, but so far she has not found one. I have one little sister who is only 8 years old, so she does not really know what is going on and therefore she does not worry. But I'm older and I know this is not a good development.

How can I find out if we are not going to be in real trouble of being in deep poverty and living on the streets? I'm too scared to ask my parents any questions because I might be upset by the answers I get. —Worried Teenager, via email

WORRIED TEENAGER: The very first thing I recommend that you do is the exact opposite of what you are afraid of. Do sit down with your mother and father and ask them direct questions about what will happen to your family now and what you can do to help them, if there is anything they could use your assistance with. I trust they will be able to reassure you that everything will turn out well in the long run and that in the meantime your family will still have a roof over its head. Your possessions and clothes will also be safe and will remain yours.

I know this sounds like a scary time for your family, but I trust that the safety nets that society provides will keep your family with a roof over its head for now, and that it won't be too long until one or both of your parents acquire a new, steady job.

Also, realize that when an adult generally loses a job, they're given what is called a severance package, which means they are given some extra money during this separation from the job so that this extra money can help them to provide a cushion to their finances until a new job is located. Our society also provides for unemployment insurance, which would allow your father to draw money from the local government office until he finds a new job.

If you have any computer skills developed by this point, perhaps you could help one or both your parents to type up a resume, or you could help them in their job search in whatever way may be the most appropriate for them and you.

HE WANTS A 'TWO-WEEKEND' BREAK

DR. WALLACE: I've been dating my current boyfriend for two months. At first, he treated me like a lady, but over the past two weekends he has become quite physically aggressive with me.

I've pushed him away and given him a firm no to his ongoing advances each time he's tried them. At least he has respected my wishes thus far.

But yesterday, he told me that he wants us to take a "two-weekend break" from hanging out together. He said that it would be a good test for us to see just how much we care about each other. He said that he does not want to break up; he just wants us both to take some space.

What do you think about this? Is he being realistic or see simply playing games with me? — On a Break, Not Yet a Breakup, via email

ON A BREAK, NOT YET A BREAKUP: It's hard to know what he's thinking, but his timing is most interesting. If he is indeed playing games with you, he may feel that after a two-weekend break you'll be more inclined to give in to his advances the next time.

However, on the other hand, if he sincerely is using the break as a cooling-off period, and he returns to you in good form and good behavior, which includes no more unwanted advances, then I feel you can reset your relationship to hopefully move ahead successfully.

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: PhotoMIX-Company at Pixabay