DR. WALLACE: My mom is a dear, sweet person, but she is not in touch with the now generation. I'm a junior in high school and mom now thinks it's time to teach me the "wifely subservient duties" of cooking, mending, washing and ironing, cleaning, and grocery shopping.

I've tried to tell mom that these duties are not "women's duties." They are simply duties. I plan to be an opera singer, and if I do I'll hire someone (maybe even a man) to do these duties. Do you agree with me? — Ginger, Yonkers, N.Y.

GINGER: I agree with you partially.

Still, it would be nice to be proficient in cooking, mending, etc., until you become that opera star. Then, when you hire that man for domestic help, drop me a line and let me know how much you plan to pay. I know several guys who just might apply!

YOUR BOYFRIEND IS MISTAKEN

DR. WALLACE: Is it possible to get a sunburn during cold winter days? I plan to learn how to ski this winter and I don't want to damage the skin on my face. My boyfriend, who will be helping me to learn the art of skiing, says that the redness on a skier's face is wind-caused and not sunburn, and that wind-caused redness is not damaging. Is this true? — Katy, Denver, Colo.

KATY: Your boyfriend is mistaken! Regardless of the air's temperature, excessive exposure to the sun's rays can cause sunburn. And sunburn can cause skin cancer, wrinkles and premature aging of the skin. All skin exposed to the sun should be covered with a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Sunscreens can be found in most pharmacies.

DAD GETS UPSET IF I DON'T GET AN A

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 14-year-old boy and I'm a good student. My problem is that if I don't get an "A" in every subject my dad gets upset and I'm punished. I told him that a "C" is considered average, but he said I'm not an average student. Help! — Bobby, Phoenix, Ariz.

BOBBY: Very few of us mortals have the ability to excel in all academic fields.

Parents should be concerned and show interest in the school grades of their offspring, but to punish them if they're not perfect (and maybe not capable of being perfect) is not wise.

Talk to your school counselor or administrator and ask to have Dad review your cumulative records so he can take note of areas where receiving an "A" would be unlikely.

Bur remember, if you happen to be one of the few who are capable of perfect grades, then Dad is really going to be on your case.

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.