DR. WALLACE: Our family started a "tradition" during the times of COVID-19 where are we all gathered together in our den one weekend night to watch two movies back-to-back together.

I have a big family: I have one younger sister and four brothers, two of each who are older and younger than I am.

At first, I had no trouble at all with this tradition because there was nothing else to do anyway since we were staying inside our homes for months at a time. Early on, my sister and I, since we are the only two girls, got to recommend and select several of the movies.

But now, because we are all busy again and we all spend much more time outside of our home, we usually only see one movie of a longer length. We don't watch two movies back-to-back together anymore, just one longer one.

And now it seems my brothers are dominating the movie selections because a lot of the longer movies tend to be big action movies of some sort. Some of them have violence and crude behavior, and I'm not really interested in watching them. I also feel my younger sister and I would be better off doing something else in our room whenever there's a movie that I don't like and I feel she doesn't need to see.

My parents feel that since we all committed to watching movie night together, we should stick around and watch the whole movie as a family together. We usually make good food for dinner that we eat in the den, plus snacks and treats for dessert. My sister and I always help to make the food in advance before going into the den to eat when the movie starts. After dinner, we even sometimes pause the movie to make popcorn too. What do you think about my concerns? Should my younger sister and I have to sit through gross movies we don't like? — Not Always a Fan, via email

NOT ALWAYS A FAN: I tend to agree with your logic and reasoning here, but I do have a compromise to propose. Perhaps you could tell your parents, particularly your mother, in advance that you're more than happy to help prepare the food and set up the room for this movie night, then ask if you and your younger sister can enjoy your dinner and perhaps the first 20 or 30 minutes of the movie and then at some point quietly excuse yourselves to go to your room and engage in some other suitable activity. This way the movie can start with the full roster of your family present, and you can all enjoy the meal together.

I'm pretty sure you can hang in there for the first portion of the movie, and if you and your sister sit near the door, you can likely slip out quietly once the movie starts to get a bit rougher. And if you girls really want to be heroes to the others, you can set a time to make some popcorn and bring it in to the others at a fixed time they plan to pause the movie.

It's great that your family is interested in maintaining a few new traditions, and whenever there is a movie selected that you can tolerate, I suggest that both you and your sister remain in the den for the duration of the show. Only ask to be excused for specific movies you have personal concerns about. I trust your parents are likely to agree with this logic, and feel free to share my reply to your letter with them if you feel it might enhance your chances of receiving the permission you seek.

THEY GO SO FAST!

DR. WALLACE: I live near a beach area and over the last year I've noticed so many young people riding these new motorized bicycles, and they really go fast! In fact, they go so fast that it makes me afraid for them.

At least some of the riders wear helmets, but I'd say only about half of them do. These kids range in age from 10 or 12 years old up to young adults. Some of them even ride them on the public roadways and I cringe when I see some of these riders zip by, weaving in and out like they don't have a care in the world. Are these motorized bikes safer than I realize? Am I just being too much of a worrier here? — I Cringe When They Go By, via email

I CRINGE WHEN THEY GO BY: I've seen them also and my feelings are close to yours. I feel anyone of any age who rides a motorized bicycle should at least wear a helmet, if not elbow and kneepads.

At the speed most of them travel, the dangers are indeed high and quite real. I encourage every young person to take their personal safety seriously and I implore the parents of teens who ride these vehicles to insist upon helmets and safety equipment being worn, as well as a detailed discussion about speeds, safety, rules of the road and how to stay safe. The risks you point out are indeed quite real and they should be always mitigated by responsible behavior whenever riding what amounts to a modern moped.

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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