Many Girls would be Thrilled to be in Your Shoes by Dr. Robert Wallace on Creators.com

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I Want Girls to Learn From my Mistake DR. WALLACE: I am not writing to ask for advice. I am writing to help other girls who may be making the same mistake I made. Maybe if I had seen a letter like this a few years ago, my life might be different now. I had a reputation of being easy …Read more. Your Girlfriend was Honest; Respect Her for That DR. WALLACE: Jade and I have been dating for about six months. We have had some really great times. But last week she told me that she no longer wanted to date me because she wanted the opportunity to date others. She also said she no longer had any …Read more. Should I Forgive my Friend? DR. WALLACE: I used to be good friends with Ashley, but no more! Ashley and I were friends since second grade, but for the past year or so, all she did was try to get me in trouble — at school, with my parents, with other friends and even with …Read more. Better Late Than Never DR. WALLACE: Susan was my best friend until a recent incident caused us to end our friendship. Last week, my "friend" brought a bottle of tequila to school, and she and another girl drank some during lunch. After lunch, she asked me to …Read more.

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and have been seeing Mario, who is 17, over a month. I like him a lot and would really like us to have a serious relationship. Right now, I only see him twice a week and I would like it to be a lot more. He is friends with my next-door neighbor, so when he is not with me, he usually is over at Orlando's house. I see him over there. When I can't be with him, it bothers me a lot.

What do you think I should do? My mom says I should leave things alone and eventually Mario will spend more time with me. My dad said I should tell him to choose: Orlando or me.

I'm leaning toward the advice from my dad. I talked it over with my best friend (she's not too smart), and she said I should dump Mario. I really don't want to do that, but I will if everyone thinks that's the best solution. — Adella, San Antonio.

ADELLA: I strongly suspect that if you follow dad's suggestion, Mario will become history. I agree with Mom's advice. If Mario lived a mile away, you wouldn't be frustrated because you wouldn't always see him with his friend.

Look at the positive side. You are seeing a guy you care for on a steady basis. And he must feel the same about you. Furthermore, you know where he is most of the time when he isn't with you. Many teens would be thrilled to be with their steady twice a week.

If you both enjoy your times together, don't be surprised if he starts spending more time with you.

Be patient!

I'VE BEEN TAUGHT BY PARENTS TO DRINK

DR. WALLACE: I have been taught by my parents to drink alcohol sensibly. I am now married and pregnant with our first child. I usually have a glass of wine with my husband at suppertime. The wine is supposed to help me keep from being a heart attack victim as well as to aid in digestion. It also is very relaxing.

My mother is all shook up that I am drinking a little wine while I'm pregnant. We have had several spats about this. I talked to my doctor about having a glass of wine in the evening, and she said it wouldn't cause any harm to the baby or me. Would you believe my mother thinks my doctor is a quack?

Since my mother is a faithful reader of your column, I'd appreciate it if you could answer my letter and let her know that I'm not harming my unborn baby. — Nameless, Santa Rosa, Calif.

NAMELESS: You're writing to the wrong advice columnist if you want my blessing for that daily glass of wine. I don't recommend it. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which stems from a mother's drinking during pregnancy, is a leading cause of birth defects associated with mental retardation. When pregnant, it's smart to err on the side of safety and caution. To my way of thinking, that would mean no alcohol consumption whatsoever!

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 rwallace@galesburg.net. 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.