by Terry J. Ward

 I won't bore you with the unsavory details, but my son and I are in a deadly test of wills. The battle of the phone. It's ugly. Very ugly. And getting uglier every day.

 If you've never had a teenager in your house, don't bother to try to understand. Nothing can really prepare you for the life or death struggle that your child, the one that you lovingly dole out five bucks to in regular installments, will put you through when you try to set limits on phone use.

 So, that's why I'm turning to you. I want to hear what you have to say about this issue . . . here's the rule: "No phone use after ten o'clock on school nights, eleven on weekends." Fair? Unfair? And, if you think it's a fair rule, how do you, as a parent, win the battle?

 Be creative. I like a little imagination in these matters. Please don't tell me just to "say no." If you tell me that, then you will have blown your cover and I will know that you never raised a teenager. If you're a teenager, don't bother to write. My child will be the first to tell you that I am an ogre, incapable of understanding even the most fundamental rules of social interaction. And besides, other parents are far, far nicer. That being said . . .

 Write to me in care of the paper with your suggestion on how to win the battle. You can also e-mail me in care of the paper. Or, if worse comes to worse, we'll probably see each other in the grocery store and you can tell me while we're waiting in line.

 We'll make a little contest of it. I'll print the best suggestions with my article next month. Now, get busy . . . remember, my sanity may rest in your hands.