DR. WALLACE: I'm a single working parent and I have a 13-year-old son. I arrive home from work at 5 p.m. My son's school is dismissed at 2:30 p.m., which means he is unsupervised for two and a half hours, Monday-Friday. I have instructed him to come straight home after school and to stay at home until I arrive home from work.

Last week my son and a couple of his buddies stole some beer from a neighborhood convenience store and were arrested by the police. When I went to juvenile hall to get him released the police officer gave me a lecture about providing proper supervision from the time school is dismissed until I arrive home from work. I didn't know what to say, so I just listened and said I would take care of the problem.

Now I'm thinking that even if I had been at home, my son could have been involved in the beer theft with his friends. It is very difficult to keep a child under close supervision 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. — Mother, Columbus, Ohio

MOTHER: I realize that it is difficult being a single parent and I sympathize with your problem. Since you can't be in two places at one time, there are bound to be a few instances when your son will be home alone for short periods.

However, since your son was arrested for stealing beer with his friends, this is an indication that you have a serious problem and it must be dealt with immediately! Your son is simply not mature enough to handle this time by himself and will continue getting into trouble after school unless you take action.

According to Edward Flynn, a chief of police in Arlington County, Virginia, "When the school bell rings at the close of school, juvenile crime suddenly triples, and much of this crime is caused by unsupervised juveniles."

The simplest solution would be to get your son involved in an after-school program in athletics or some other activity. If his school has no such programs, then I'd advise you to provide adult paid supervision. This investment in your son's well being will be money well spent.

Although a child can't always be under supervision 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if you and your son had shared open communication, unconditional trust, and love, you wouldn't have needed around-the-clock supervision for him.

YOU ARE LIVING PROOF

DR. WALLACE: I have started, but never finished, several letters to you. But now it's really important for me to finish this one. During my senior year in high school I was heavily involved with drugs. My father was being transferred by his company and we were moving right after graduation. I was totally petrified about the move and didn't want to leave my friends. I even tried to commit suicide a couple of times because I didn't want to face the unknown future.

But now, I no longer have that problem. I have come to understand that life is like a treasure box. What you put into it is what you get out of it. So now whenever I see a person frowning or looking sad, I counter with a smile and a friendly word. I feel like a new person and I owe it all to the wonderful boy who showed me that religious faith would solve all of my problems, big and small.

I now have a job I enjoy and have made peace with my family. I know you can't print every letter, but just putting my thoughts on paper has made me feel good — and maybe it might even help somebody else out there. — Nameless, Brooklyn, N.Y.

NAMELESS: Determination and faith conquer all problems. You are living proof!

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.