DR. WALLACE: I babysit and have saved over $400 so far. I keep the money hidden in my room. Three months ago, my father asked me if he could borrow some of the money for a short period of time because of a financial problem. Yesterday he repaid the money he had borrowed — $350.

When I asked him why he didn't include some interest on the loan, he said that since I wasn't earning interest, I shouldn't expect interest. I think he should have paid a little extra for my kindness. Do you agree? — Ann, Elizabethtown, Ky.

ANN: It would have been nice if Dad had added a few dollars to his payment, even if the money wasn't earning interest when you loaned it to him. But don't make a big issue about it. Be happy that you helped your father when he needed it. That's what family is all about.

THIRTY-NINE PERCENT OF TEENS TRIED MARIJUANA

TEENS: Would your parents be upset if they discovered that you smoked marijuana? Shockingly, they may not be. A recent nationwide study involving over 1,200 parents of teens, conducted by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, found that barely half of the parents would be upset to learn their children were experimenting with pot.

According to the survey, today's parents were more likely to have used drugs than in previous generations and they see less risk in drug experimentation and are less likely to speak to their children about it. The number of parents who have never spoken with their children about drugs was 12 percent, double what it was just six years ago. While most parents no longer use drugs, 11 percent reported that they continue their marijuana habit.

Among other findings in the survey:

— While parents believe it's important to discuss drugs with their children, only about 3 in 10 children say they've learned very much about drug risks at home.

— Only 18 percent of parents believe their children have smoked marijuana, but the number of teens experimenting with it is, in fact, 39 percent.

— Just 21 percent of parents believe friends of their children are smoking marijuana, but 62 percent of teens report friends who use the drug.

SEVENTY PERCENT OF MARIJUANA USERS DON'T ADVANCE

DR. WALLACE: Do the majority of those who use marijuana move on to more potent and dangerous drugs? — Chuck, Rochester, N.Y.

CHUCK: A Penn State University research team studied the same question and found that seven out of 10 marijuana users do not advance to other drugs, such as LSD, cocaine or heroin. But of those who are currently using hard drugs, 98 percent also use or have used marijuana.

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.