DR. WALLACE: Our mom has a few hobbies, and she is a wonderful homemaker. Her biggest thing is birdwatching. She recently set up a whole bunch of birdfeeders in our backyard because springtime is here!

Unfortunately, some local squirrels have made it a habit to find a way to access the feeders. This upset my mom, but she understood there's only so much we can do to keep the pesky squirrels away.

The problem is, I overheard my brother talking with one of his friends and he was planning to borrow this friend's BB gun to shoot the squirrels so that my mom could be happy with her birdwatching. To my knowledge, he hasn't done it yet, but since I heard this, I'm worried that he may kill some of the squirrels. Should I say anything? — My Brother is Wild at Times, via email

MY BROTHER IS WILD AT TIMES: Yes, you should absolutely say something to your parents immediately. Shooting any gun in a residential setting is a recipe for potential danger or even disaster.

It sounds to me like your brother is an opportunist using your mother's passion for birdwatching to justify doing something he normally wouldn't be allowed to do. One errant shot that reached a neighbor's backyard could strike a teen, an adult, a small child or even a family's pet. Your brother has no business shooting a gun at animals in your backyard. Tell your mother what you heard immediately. Immediately!

I CAN'T HOLD STUDY SESSIONS AT OUR HOUSE

DR. WALLACE: I live with my mother, my younger sister and my younger brother. I recently met a few new friends and we've been hanging out a lot. Both of them have invited me over to their family homes to do homework and hang out after school. Because we are relatively new to this area, none of my new friends have ever been to our family home, and they have not met my mother. One of them mentioned it would be nice to visit our home sometime as well.

However, there's a bit of a challenge here that I'll be facing. My mother has a weak immune system and she doesn't like having guests in our home for long periods of time. My mother does go out in public, but she usually wears a mask and she's quite cautious around other people.

Do you think there's a way I could convince my mother to let my friends occasionally come over and hang out and do homework and watch movies together in our house? — I'd Like to Reciprocate, via email

I'D LIKE TO RECIPROCATE: I'll start by saying that your mother's home is indeed her castle. Because she has health concerns, she absolutely deserves to decide how she wants to handle her personal living space.

With that said, I think there is an interim step that can act as at least a partial compromise. Check with your mother and see if it would be possible to invite both of these friends over to your house one afternoon for just a brief visit. Explain to them in advance that you won't you all won't be able to stay at your house because of your mother's health condition. But they could at least come inside for a few minutes, see your room and perhaps say hello to your mother from the hallway if she might be in her bedroom or in a family room.

This way, your friends could see your house, your room and see your mother as well. Your mother could also see your friends and know who they are. This could literally take less than five minutes, which should be acceptable to your mother. Once completed, you would have to go to one of your friends' houses for the usual study time or personal time to hang out together. And at least by doing this, your friends will much better understand your family's situation.

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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