DR. WALLACE: My older brother was suspended from school twice during this previous school year, and he has been in a lot of trouble at school for various reasons. I'm his younger sister, and we have both been attending the same public high school.

My parents are now talking about enrolling my brother in a private high school on the other side of our town. They told me they were thinking it would be a good idea if we both transferred to the same school.

But that doesn't work for me! I've been a good student, I don't get into trouble at all and I have great friends. I don't feel that I should be punished by having to switch schools simply because my brother has been out of control at times. I should also mention that I can easily get a ride to my school if my parents don't want to drive to both sides of our town each day.

Do you feel I should have to sacrifice and go to a different school because of my brother's poor behavior? — I Don't Want to Go, via email

I DON'T WANT TO GO: I strongly feel you should not have to sacrifice your existing curriculum, comfort zone and social life simply because of your brother's poor behavior. A big part of the role of parenting involves adjusting strategies, discipline, and decision-making regarding each child.

Each personality must be dealt with separately and all factors involving the welfare of each child should be carefully considered before making major decisions, such as changing schools, especially when no urgent family move is necessitated. When one or both parents must relocate for a job opportunity, that is a different discussion altogether. But staying in the same residence and being asked to move to a different school because of a sibling's poor behavior sounds like a terrible idea to me.

Do your best to involve other adults and family members whom you know in having discussions with your parents. Also, contact your school and see if a counselor would be willing to meet with your parents as well.

Finally, let them know that you wrote to me here, and that, for what it's worth, my opinion is very strong that you should be allowed to remain at your existing high school. Be proactive, calm and disciplined in your approach to state your case this summer and get working on this right away.

NO GRAND CANYON FOR ME THIS SUMMER

DR. WALLACE: My father promised our family that we could have a vacation this summer to the Grand Canyon. I've been looking forward to seeing it my entire life, especially because I love geography.

My brother and my sisters were also really excited, but my dad just said that because of a problem at his work, we can't take a long trip out of state this summer. He did promise to take us on a few weekend trips, but it won't be the same.

I've been looking forward to this trip for the last two years ever since we discussed the idea. My father said we can do it next year, but I know how things can change from one year to the next.

I'm extremely disappointed. How can I possibly get over this? I'm a girl who loves to plan and look forward to things, and now I feel like a huge rug just got pulled out from underneath my feet. — Beyond Disappointed, via email

BEYOND DISAPPOINTED: Things to happen in the world of business and careers, and I trust your father has a very good reason for needing to stay closer to home this particular summer.

I suggest you use your excellent planning skills to create a strong push for your Grand Canyon vacation next summer. Set up a corkboard in your room and fill it with pictures, ideas and facts about the Grand Canyon. Write to different travel locations, including the state parks, and request as many materials as you can regarding the Grand Canyon. Bring them into your house, make them readily available to your siblings and parents and start right now planning on the "Great Grand Canyon Trip - Summer '26."

If you can channel your disappointment into proactive enthusiasm, I trust you'll be able to keep the project on track for next summer, and your parents will quite likely go along with you to not disappoint you deeply again. Also, bring your siblings into the mix if they share even a portion of your enthusiasm. The more family members that are excited it, the better your chances are of having it come to fruition next summer.

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.

Photo credit: Jennifer Rogalla at Unsplash