DR. WALLACE: I'm 16, and my parents and I agree on my 11 p.m. curfew for date nights (Friday and Saturday). My boyfriend and I have been going out for over four months, and we have never been late — not even a few minutes.

Last Saturday, he and I went to a movie and then stopped to get something to eat afterward. The end result was that I came home 15 minutes past my curfew.

My parents were a bit disturbed, but they didn't go berserk. When I asked them what my punishment was going to be, they said they didn't know because they never expected me to be late, especially without calling.

Since curfew infractions are new to our family, my parents decided that I should write to you, and they agreed to do whatever you suggest for my punishment as long as they feel it is "reasonable." Please tell us what you think is fair under my particular circumstances. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you that I am your biggest fan and my family reads your column every day. — Late Date, via email

LATE DATE: Since this is your first curfew infraction and it was not egregious, I feel you fall on the lower end of the punishment scale. There was no drinking, no accident and no drama. I trust you will plan to watch the clock more carefully next time. I am happy to hear that you are a big fan of this column, but I must tell you that my advice would not be influenced on how often you read this column. Having said that, thank you very much for your loyal readership.

Since 11 p.m. is your normal curfew time, your next two weeks of dates should end with you being back in your house at 10:30 p.m. and not a second later. If you go out on dates every Friday and Saturday night, this would be four total dates that you'll have to end early. These two total hours are eight times more than the 15 minutes you were late, which I feel is an adequate punishment.

IS IT OK TO BE A VEGETARIAN TEEN?

DR. WALLACE: I am an active 14-year-old girl. For the past several months, I have avoided animal products, including all kinds of meat and cheese. I am not 100% vegetarian because occasionally I have a bit of ice cream. My aunt has told my parents that being a 99% vegetarian is not healthy for a growing teen. Our physical education teacher told her class about the advantages of avoiding animal products, so I asked her again about teens becoming vegetarian, and she said avoiding animal products is helpful, not harmful. What do you think is reasonable? — Vegetarian in Training, Portland, Oregon

VEGETARIAN IN TRAINING: A well-balanced diet void of meat that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes is perfectly appropriate for growing teens, according to several nutritionists I have spoken with recently.

If you truly wish to seek your family's blessing on this topic, you might ask your parents to schedule a meeting with your family doctor. I trust your doctor will point out the importance of a balanced diet and explain that protein can be consumed via a variety of sources that do not contain any meat.

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.

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