Even if you think of yourself as the kind of parent that your kid can talk to about anything, there are probably some things they would rather keep to themselves, whether it’s dealing with embarrassing bodily functions or not divulging the kinds of drugs they enjoy.
This post on Reddit’s r/parenting board from u/hilaryflammond offers a great suggestion for parents of older kids or teenagers: Set up a “No Questions Asked” drawer for your child, and fill it with supplies they might be embarrassed to ask for. You could even open it up to their friends (if you don’t mind supplying the neighborhood with condoms).
The specifics are, of course, up to you, but below are some suggestions.
Sex
Table of Contents
- Condoms
- Dental dams
- Contraceptive foam
- Emergency contraception, aka Plan B (it has a shelf-life of about four years.)
- Pregnancy tests
- Lubricant
Health and hygiene
- Information card containing the phone numbers of mental health services, addiction counseling, etc.
- Laxatives
- Imodium and Tux pads
- Monistat/yeast infection remedy
- Tampons and pads (There shouldn’t be a stigma or anything secret about this, but it might be useful for your kid’s friends, who may be grateful to not have to ask.)
- Adult diapers
- Toothbrush (for guests)
- Deodorant (ditto)
Drinking and drugs
- Fentanyl test strips (This one is tricky, as it suggests to your child that you think they’re on serious drugs, which is potentially insulting. And if you think your kid is on serious drugs, you should do more than leave test strips in a drawer for them—but again, you may be providing something for someone they know, not just for them.)
- Narcan, along with a note that reads: “Call 911 immediately” (See note above.)
- Cab voucher/LYFT or Uber gift certificate (for drunken rides home)
- Hangover remedies (This was suggested by a few Redditors so I’m including it, but I’d personally leave this one out. The symptoms of hangovers aren’t harmful, and I want my kid to fully suffer the negative consequences of over-indulgence. I’d deal with a teen with a hangover like one of my friends’ parents used to: Wake them up early and make them move furniture.)
Miscellaneous
- Stain remover
- Febreze or other deodorizer
- The phone number of their cool aunt
- A BTS CD (in case my heavymetal-loving son is embarrassed to ask for some emergency K-POP)
- Chocolate or other candy
- A coloring book and crayons
- A copy of Goodnight, Moon or other cherished childhood book
- A coupon for a free hug
“No questions asked” vs. “no judgement”
If you’re going to label a drawer “no questions asked,” you have to really not ask any questions—making a box like this and then saying, “So, I noticed you used a condom last night…” is a definite parenting fail. On the other hand, I know that if my child was regularly using Narcan, I’d have some serious questions. So you might want to change the philosophy of the box a bit and call it the “no judgement drawer” instead, and explain that you’re not going to be angry if your kid uses anything in it, but that you might need to talk to them about their safety.
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If you’ve got more suggestions for the drawer, drop them in the comments.