DR. WALLACE: My wife and I are both busy professionals and we have three great children. Our oldest is a son who just turned 17.

My wife and I don't drink much, but we do occasionally have a glass of red wine with our dinner, especially on weekends with Italian food. My wife has Italian heritage, and her family all likes an occasional glass of wine, especially at dinnertime.

Well, our oldest son just asked us if he could start drinking a half-glass of wine with his Saturday night dinner at home. He explained his reasoning to us, saying that he wanted to learn to become a responsible drinker like my wife and I are. He said this way we could supervise his drinking and be sure he was not getting out of control.

I don't like that idea at all, but my wife actually told him that we would think about it. My wife and I subsequently discussed the matter and she indeed was open to the idea, but I explained I didn't think it was proper since he is not yet of legal drinking age. What is your take on this matter? — Parents Who Disagree, via email

PARENTS WHO DISAGREE: I side with you on this issue. The simple fact is that children who are allowed to drink alcohol at home will have a much greater propensity to drink alcohol outside of the home, no matter their age.

Allowing your son to drink alcohol before he turns 21 is therefore not a good idea in my opinion. Explain to him that you and your wife both waited until you were adults before you enjoyed a glass of wine at dinner. Tell him that in a few short years he will become an adult both in the eyes of the law and in terms of his physical, mental and emotional development.

Laws like this are enacted for good reasons, and I suggest that your family maintain a "no alcohol" policy for your underage children.

I FEAR HE'S A MOOCH!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a female college student and I've met a nice-looking guy on my university's campus. We met one Saturday afternoon during a special seasonal event and since then we've gone out on three dates.

What's strange is that on our first date he asked me out to a coffee shop that has good sandwiches and cold drinks, so since it was a hot summer day, I agreed — but at the end of the meal, he told me that he was embarrassed that he had forgotten his wallet. So yes, I paid the bill and even left a tip for the server.

On date No. 2 we went to the movies and guess what? When it was time to pay for the tickets, he pulled out only a single $5 bill and then told me that he thought he had more in his pocket, but just remembered that his roommate had borrowed $40 cash from him the night before.

For date No. 3, I suggested a hike on a local trail, and he agreed. I suggested the night before that we both bring some drinks and light snacks that we could share on our journey. The next day I brought some bottled water and a handful of energy bars and he brought... you guessed it... nothing! He said he forgot since he was running late. He did later gulp down my water and energy bars like a hungry stray glad to find some hydration and nourishment.

Should I plan a date No. 4 or just cut my losses? He's pretty good-looking, but I'm starting to notice a trend that does not mesh well with my personality. I work hard at my part-time job to put myself through college and I have enough to live on my own with a close friend I've known since high school. My roommate and I are both financially responsible and that suits me well. But this new guy is totally the opposite of my roommate. He never has money to pay for things and although he told me has his own place and a roommate, I've never been invited there and have no proof he even has a place of his own. What do you think? — His Act Is Wearing Thin, via email

HIS ACT IS WEARING THIN: It sounds to me that you may have solved your own situation already and that perhaps my best role would simply be to agree with you that your instincts are likely on target here.

At this juncture, you can intentionally make yourself scarce in terms of spending further time with him, but you can stop short of saying that you don't want to see him anymore.

This will give you a window of time to do some reconnaissance on him and see if you can find any of his friends or acquaintances that may know his situation better. If for some reason he's actually a good guy who was just off his game a time or two, then you'll be in a position to give him one last chance. But if you find that his stories don't hold water, perhaps you can slowly send the message that your life is becoming quite busy and that you'll have to cut back on your social time.

Some guys like to see how far they can push things and if he's truly looking for you to enable him financially, your best bet would be to cut off his allowance entirely and then see what he does.

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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