DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I have been seeing each other at school for about three weeks. I'm 16 and he is 17. My parents have always said that I could go out on a "car date" when I reached the age of 16 and if the guy was nice and had a part-time job. He is the nicest, sweetest guy in the entire world and he works on weekends at a fast-food restaurant cooking hamburgers.

I had him meet my folks and they liked him (mom thought he was very handsome), but they won't let me go on a "car date" with him. The reason? His job isn't responsible enough to suit them.

I think that my parents are using his job as a cop-out and that they really broke a promise to me. They think that they are just making sure I date reliable, responsible people. Your comments, please. — Sad, Lincoln, Nebr.

SAD: Parents who make promises should keep them or they shouldn't make them at all. Let's hope mom and dad soon realize that they are making a mistake by not letting you go on a car date with a young man they have met and seemed to approve of.

Many very responsible adults started their employment flipping hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant. In a troubled economy, this fellow is fortunate to be employed part-time. His employer must approve of his good work habits.

I LOVE BEING ON THE TEAM

DR. WALLACE: My parents are avid readers of your column and most of the time they agree 100 percent with your advice. Many times our family will discuss your daily advice and sometimes we "debate" on whether or not your advice was excellent, very good, average, below average, or terrible. My parents have never given you a terrible rating, but I must admit that I've graded your answer terrible twice. But that's not too bad considering that our newspaper picked up your column about two years ago, and I've been reading it ever since then.

But now the time has come for me to get your advice with an "excellent response. I'm 15 and a good student. I also am on the junior varsity tennis team. This makes me feel very happy. I love being on the team. My grandmother, who lives with us, is trying to convince my parents that girls should not participate in athletics because it is not "lady-like."

Please inform my parents that playing sports is an asset and is, indeed, very much "lady-like." — Nameless, Gary, Ind.

NAMELESS: I hope grandmother watched on television the very gifted female athletes performing their skilled talents in the recent Olympic Games. If so, she has changed her mind about female athletes not being "ladylike."

I agree with you 100 percent that participating in athletics is a great asset and provides athletes many physical and emotional rewards that will last a lifetime.

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. E-mail 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.