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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Found condoms...

77 replies

shockednamechange · 18/10/2026 15:01

This will sound odd really. DS is 19 and in second year at uni. Always had a big social circle but no sign of a girlfriend ever. Would occasionally talk with his brother about celebrities he fancied but also often said he never wants a relationship/to live with anyone/get married/have kids. Sometimes I put it down to being one of his idiosyncrasies as he's quite an eccentric really but sometimes he sounded so adamant I actually found it a bit upsetting.

After a year at uni he made lots of new friends but still no sign of anything romantic. Now I have just picked up a random carrier bag in the spare room and it has a half empty box of condoms in it, among other bits and bobs of his.

So it's none of my business and perfectly normal and good, but it feels so weird that I would otherwise have had no inkling had I not found this bag, and I'm still a bit sad that this is happening but no actual girlfriend appears to be on the scene at all.

There's no point in me posting because there's nothing for me to do but his dad is not around and I just wanted to share...

OP posts:
Eristealviper · 19/10/2026 10:39

“I don't believe that most parents in my position wouldn't mention it to the other parent. I just don't. Call them at work in tears? No. Mention it - yes, I think they would. And I don't think some people realise how lonely it can be as a single parent when you have no one to share mundane events like this with. Mentioning it to friends who know ds feels far more of an invasion of privacy than posting here does.”
I’m another parent that definitely wouldn’t .

Feel I must add, there really are a fair few other uses condoms can be put to & maybe OP is a parent who habitually jumps to conclusions.

Mandy1961 · 19/10/2026 19:45

Is he maybe gay and not come out to you yet? Just be glad he's being sensible and responsible.

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