DR. WALLACE: I'm a girl who gets a regular allowance from her parents every week, and in exchange for this, I of course do some regular chores around our house. I never complain, and the chores are always done correctly, on time and thoroughly. Sometimes when I'm finishing a chore, I can see something else that needs to be done related to what I'm doing, and I'll often spend an extra five or 10 minutes doing a little extra to help keep everything looking sharp around our house.

So I will admit that I do spend part of my allowance eating food with my friends on the weekends at our local mall, seeing movies and doing all the things teenage girls like to do.

Even though I spend some of my money, the good news is that I always save 50% and have a bank account that has grown gradually ever since I opened it.

I just got invited to an important dance, and all my friends are going out and getting special dresses to wear for this special occasion. My parents buy my school clothes for me, but anything special I'm expected to pay for myself. I almost have enough money saved to buy the dress I want, but I'm going to be about three weeks short of allowance money to pay for it. I mentioned this to my father and asked him if I could get a loan or an "advance" of my future allowances so that I could get this garment for my special occasion. To my utter surprise, he simply shook his head and said I shouldn't have gone to so many movies and eaten so much fast food!

I was so shocked that I didn't say anything further to him, and now I'm worried. I only have so much time to be able to buy this dress before it will be too late. Is there anything I can do about this? — I'm Running Out of Time, via email

I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME: Your letter didn't mention your mother, so that may be a good place to start, as she may have a different opinion than your father does and may be able to soften his position. I feel your request is entirely reasonable, as this is a "one-off" special occasion.

If your parents won't advance you any allowance at all, see if you can quickly mobilize a way to do some quick fundraising. Take a Saturday afternoon and visit your neighbors, asking if you can do chores like washing their cars, cleaning out their garages, sweeping driveways, raking leaves or anything you can do with people in your neighborhood that your family knows and trusts.

Explain to everyone you come in contact with that you're requesting this work so that you can purchase a special garment for the upcoming occasion. If your parents will allow you to do some work locally, I trust they will be impressed with your diligence and motivation, and they may either help you to find work opportunities, or finally relent and loan you the money themselves. In either case, be responsible in paying it back quickly and doing an extra special good job just like you always do.

I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM, SO I FEEL LEFT OUT

DR. WALLACE: I very rarely if ever remember my dreams! I have brothers and sisters and friends at school who are always chatting and talking about what they've been dreaming about and what the dreams could potentially mean. I feel left out because I very rarely remember anything when I wake up!

Is there any way I can program myself to remember my dreams better? I'd sure like to have some content to add to these discussions rather than just hearing about everyone else's "nocturnal adventures!" — I Feel Left Out, via email

I FEEL LEFT OUT: Part of the regular experience of a human being is dreaming at night, and even though you haven't been remembering your dreams, you're certainly having them. The typical human being experiences two to four dreams per evening, and any individual dream can last up to a couple of hours in some cases!

There is no guaranteed way to remember your dreams for certain, but you can likely increase your odds by keeping a notepad by your bed. Every time you wake up, stay in bed for a few minutes, breathe very calmly and let your mind settle. You might recall even bits or fragments of dreams that may have gone on the night before.

Jot down anything you remember in the notepad, and continue doing this each day.

Also, if you have the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, do the same thing: Take your journal with you into the bathroom, and when you turn the light on, write down anything you can remember.

It may take time, but gradually you should be able to pick up a few pieces of at least a few dreams here and there. I once had a dog who appeared to me to be dreaming regularly. He would twitch his paw and even make a few muted whines without waking up. I never knew if he was imagining chasing rabbits or perhaps running through a dog park in his mind!

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 [email protected]. 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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