DR. WALLACE: I'm responding to the girl who was being put under a lot of pressure to be a party girl. So far she has said no, but her resolve was weakening thanks to her best friend, who has her convinced she's missing out on a lot of fun and good times.

I'm glad you encouraged her to follow her heart instead of her head. Several years ago, I was in the same situation. For a while I fought the urge to party, but the peer pressure to join in the fun was overpowering. At first, I had a spectacular time. I experimented with alcohol, tobacco and drugs and had my first sexual experience. My grades started dropping and my desire to attend college started to vanish.

After one night of heavy partying, my best friend and her boyfriend got into a car accident. My best friend survived, but her boyfriend was killed instantly. He was speeding, missed a sharp curve and smashed into a tree. The car was a total wreck. My friend was lucky she was wearing a seatbelt. Her boyfriend wasn't buckled up. An inquest into the crash revealed that he was legally drunk.

The night of the crash, I made my mind up that my party days were over. I got my grades back in order, received my college degree and I'm now teaching third grade. I met a wonderful guy in college who is now my loving husband and father of our 3-year-old daughter. Every night I thank God for helping me through a wild and troublesome part of my life.

I hope my confession will encourage teens to trust their moral convictions when the wild life beckons them. It might appear exciting, but in reality it's depressing and lonely. I know. I've been there and done that. — Nameless, Pomona, Calif.

NAMELESS: Thanks for your message. It comes from the heart. I'm sure many young readers will pay attention. Sadly, it often takes a tragedy to make teenagers realize they aren't invincible.

I FAVOR ALLOWANCE FOR TEENS.

DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 and never ever have any money to spend. I'm too young to get a job and I do my chores faithfully. I am not asking for much money but I feel awkward when my friends ask me why I never have money.

My dad also says that kids shouldn't get handouts for doing chores. Having no money is lousy. I can't buy anything. When I do get money as a gift, my parents make me put it in the bank. Do you think kids should get an allowance? — Nameless, Galesburg, Ill

NAMELESS: I'm in favor of allowances if families can afford it. If properly supervised, an allowance can be an important learning tool for children, teaching them how to save, budget, and spend their money wisely.

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@thegreatestgift.com. 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.