DR. WALLACE: I'm a boy who turns 11 years old in a few months, but I'm already in the eighth grade! I just found this out because I seem to be smaller and less developed physically than all of my classmates, and I kept asking my mom and my sister why I'm so small.

I have an older sister who's 18, and she's planning to move out of our house sometime soon. My older sister recently forced my mother to tell me my real age because she said in front of me that if mom wouldn't tell me, she would.

Now, I'm pretty mad at my mother and I feel very inadequate. I may be a really good student at school, but I feel like a fish out of water socially. If I go to high school next year, I'll only be 12 when I get there! I'm 11 now and I thought I was 13!

My mother explained to me that she put me in first grade when I was 5 years old and then had me skip a grade a few years later because I was in what was called a combination class that had two grades of accelerated students all studying together.

Anyhow, what do you recommend I do? I'm fully capable of the schoolwork in the classes but I feel like a fish out of water socially. — Just Learned My True Age, via email

JUST LEARNED MY TRUE AGE: Your mother made a bad mistake keeping this secret from you. If not for your older sister, it appears to me that you wouldn't have discovered this discrepancy for even a few more years.

The silver lining for you is that due to your academic ability, you'll be able to graduate high school early if you choose to do so. But if you feel that you'll be too intimidated to go to high school next year at your tender age, you could speak to your mother and even a school counselor about repeating your current grade in order to give your body more time to develop and mature so that you would be only one year younger than your current classmates instead of two.

I suggest that you speak to as many trusted adults as you can about your situation now that you fully understand it, and then seek to make a good decision that will best serve you going forward in your life.

IS STRESS CAUSING THIS?

DR. WALLACE: I'm a teenage girl and have read your column for a while, so I know that you've often mentioned that certain foods generally have nothing to do with acne and complexion problems for teenagers.

My diet hasn't changed much, but for the first time in my life I'm starting to have active problems. The only other thing I can think of is stress, since I have had a lot of stress in my life lately. My parents are about to get a divorce, and my childhood pet recently passed away of old age. I've cried a lot in my room alone over both of these situations.

Do you think my current stress might be the source of my acne? — Have Acne Issues for the First Time, via email

HAVE ACNE ISSUES FOR THE FIRST TIME: Over the years, I've spoken to many dermatologists in person and via the telephone, plus I've read many studies about the subject of acne, particularly in teenagers.

The general answer to your question is that it is remotely possible that your stress could play a factor in triggering acne, but most dermatologists and studies indicate that stress is a rare contributor to acne. Many people, including teenagers, go through very stressful situations on a regular basis without experiencing acne challenges.

I recommend if possible that you see a licensed dermatologist as soon as possible to evaluate your complexion outbreak. Excellent treatments are available these days, and you will likely see improvement within a few weeks' time once a course of action is set for you by your professional.

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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