DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and so is my boyfriend. We've been dating for over two years. I live alone with my mother who is very strict. My boyfriend and I can only date every two weeks and I have an 11:30 p.m. curfew. She does allow us to spend time at our house studying and watching TV or videos and this doesn't count as a date.

My problem is that I think two dates a month for a 16-year-old who is a very trustworthy young woman is a little short. My mom has been a single mom since I was born. She never married my father, so she was an unwed mother. Because of this, she is doing everything to make sure I don't follow in her footsteps.

Every week I ask her if we could start dating once a week, but her answer is always no. Yesterday I asked her the same question and she said if I keep on pestering her she'll cut my dates to once a month. Do you think I'm being treated like a child? I sure do. — Nameless, Moncton, New Brunswick.

NAMELESS: I get many letters from 16-year-old girls who are not allowed to date at all. Your mother has let you have a boyfriend since you were 14, so don't force the issue now. In time, your mother will allow you to date more often.

YOUR MOTHER'S REMARK WAS UNCALLED FOR

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and my husband is 23. We have a beautiful 14-month- old daughter and I'm also eight months pregnant. This has made my mother very upset. She said it's obscene that I'll have two children before I'm 20. Yesterday, she said, "Just because you're married doesn't mean you can't practice birth control."

My husband and I love children and plan to have three — that's our limit. It just so happens we want them close together so they can do things together when they're older. My brother is three years older than I am and we had very little in common when we were growing up.

I'm very upset at Mom's attitude. The number of children my husband and I have and when we have them is nobody's business but ours. My husband thinks we should tell my mom our plans and reasoning, in order to convince her we're not obscene. I think I should tell her to mind her own business and that we want eight kids.

My husband and I would appreciate your input. Grandma does love our daughter and is an excellent babysitter for her. — Maria, Austin, Tex.

MARIA: I agree that the number of children you and your husband bring into this world is your business, 100 percent, and that your mother's remark was uncalled for.

But I also agree with your husband that you should be straight with your mother about your plans, rather than react to her comment with anger and sarcasm. A grandmother who loves her grandchild — and is also a good babysitter — deserves a second chance to be genuinely a part of your life.

THANKS FOR YOUR KIND WORDS

DR. WALLACE: I have been meaning to write this letter for quite some time. I've read your column throughout my teen years and I want to thank you for all your advice. At least there is someone out there still teaching today's youth the importance of high morals and values. I appreciate the things you've done and hope you continue to do your good work for a long time to come. I just wish there were more people out there like you. Even though I'm 20, I still look forward to getting the paper and reading your column every day. — Kimberly, Lake Charles, La.

KIMBERLY: You sure know how to make a columnist feel good! Thanks for your kind words.

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 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.