Mom Buys High School Musical Star’s Condoms: Would You?
If your first reaction to news that High School Musical star Zac Efron’s mom buys his condoms is a grimace, don’t worry. I don’t like thinking of my three-year-old one day having sex either.
But Efron is twenty, and his mom wants him to be safe. Wouldn’t you?
When photos of Efron and girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens surfaced, showing them at what appeared to be a sex shop, Efron says his mom confronted him. But she admitted she knew already that he was sexually active – and she showed it by stocking his Christmas stocking with an economy-sized box of condoms.
I don’t know that I’d be quite that showy. A box slipped under the pillow or left on the bedroom desk, maybe. Shoved in the Christmas stocking? Er, reserve that for socks and underwear Ma!
But it’s nice to see a mother who understands you need to set the squeamishness aside if you want to protect your kids. Remember – I’m not talking about a three-year-old, but if a teen is having sex, and you know it, ignoring it is not going to make it go away. Neither is screaming, yelling or riding them about it. Once it’s happened, you have to get cracking.
The problem? A 2000 survey by the Kaiser Foundation showed thirty percent of sexually active teens are too embarrassed to actually condoms (although eighty-seven percent said they believed they were somewhat or very effective at preventing pregnancy, followed by eighty-four who believe they can protect against HIV/AIDS and seventy-two percent against STDs). That’s nearly a third of all sexually active kids.
Would you really want to run the risk that your kid is one of the three in ten who won’t buy them? Is it worth saving yourself the embarrassment to have to have someone call you Grandma?
So would you follow Mrs. Efron’s lead? If you already knew your child was sexually active, would you buy them birth control?
Image: LA Times
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hes over 18. who cares?
Clearly some of you are misinterpreting the condom buying. His mom after viewing what she presumed to be a sex shop, when in fact was NOT!!reacted like any other normal mother would, and bought condoms as her way of showing to her son that hopefully he was already careful…Now as far as the economy size, well she obviously overeacted, but that clearly could have also been cause of where he lives…HOLLYWOOD!!!…People are making a big deal out of a mear question he was asked, and he answered quite frankly..Good for him, it shows he’s an honest and honorable young man…
Yes, I’d probably buy the condoms as a way to feel like I did all I could to protect my children. However, with the condoms would come a talk about responsibility. When I was 16 I asked my mom to take me to the doc to be put on the pill. At the time, I had along-term boyfriend, and my mom was clearly in denial. She said I was too young.The most advice she gave me was, “Boys your age don’t know how to please a woman.” What? Now I can say that yes, it was true advice, but far off from what I needed at the time.
And I’m with raj: A well-paid 20-year-old who goes to sex shops really should be buying his own condoms.
Why can’t a 20 year old (with a good income in this case) buy his own condoms?
I bought condoms for my 17 yr old stepson, who lives with me, my husband and my two young children. I was cleaning his room and found a single condom in his drawer. A few weeks later, I over heard a conversation of his that lead me to believe that he was complaining that he was out of condoms and had no money to buy more. I bought a box and left them in his drawer. I never said anything about it, but I’m sure he knows it was me. I want him to be smart, safe and I don’t want to be a grandmother! Not yet, anyway. I can’t stop him from having sex, but I’m going to do my best to try and keep him protected!
20 year olds are not children, they are adults. I think the stocking idea is a way of getting it out in the open that something needs to be addressed. Depending, of course, on how many people are present for the stocking portion of Christmas.
We are a pretty fun family. I think I would make my adult child a condom tree. They are adorable. Just a bunch of condoms hanging from a branch. (Think money tree)
My son is 13 and we have had many talks about birth control and sex. We are hopeful that he will wait but also realistic that many kids don’t make it out of high school without having sex.
Not if the “child” in question is actually an adult actor.
I hate to quote Dr. Phil, but it has merit here. You are raising an adult, not a child.
Kudos to this mom for being a realist, though I have to agree that she ought to have been a bit more discreet. I hope I can be as honest with my boy when the time inevitably comes.
Absolutely. It would be tough for me as a mom, especially depending on the age of the child…15 is way different than 20. But I think it’s in the teenager’s best interests to be informed and to have access to the things that will help prevent sexual activity from being a life-changing situation (i.e. unexpected pregnancy, STD, etc). I don’t know that I’d put them in the stocking, either, but I sure as heck would talk with my child and get them what they need.