Condoms teen gets from mom go to pals

DEAR ABBY: My 17-year-old daughter confided that she has become sexually involved with her boyfriend and asked if I would buy condoms for her. I agreed that she should protect herself and bought her a box of 12.

A week later, she informed me that she needed another 12-pack. She confessed that she has been supplying them to her girlfriends, who can't confide in their moms the way she can with me.

On one hand, I don't want to be the one supplying a group of kids. On the other hand, if I can help to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, maybe it's worth it. What do you think I should do?

- Safe-Sex Advocate in Illinois

DEAR SAFE-SEX ADVOCATE: If your daughter's friends are old enough to be sexually active, they and their boyfriends should also be responsible enough to provide their own birth control. Because you want to help them avoid unwanted pregnancies (as well as STDs), direct them to the nearest Planned Parenthood center for low-cost or no-cost birth control and instruction on how to use it. To find the one closest to you, visit plannedparenthood.org.

DEAR ABBY: My husband thinks the way to make our three daughters love him is by allowing them everything I don't. For example, I don't let the girls eat anywhere except at the table, so my husband brings treats into the family room. I try to limit high-sugar/fat items like chips and candy, which he buys for them on a regular basis.

Then he complains that the girls won't listen to him, so I must be in charge of the discipline. While this makes him Fun Daddy in our house, it makes me . . .

Mean Mommy in Ohio

DEAR MOMMY: It appears you're not just raising three girls, but also coping with an immature, overgrown boy. Your husband needs parenting classes, and if that's not possible, some sessions with a child-behavior expert who can explain the consequences of what he's doing to his daughters in the name of being "Fun Daddy." From my perspective, there isn't anything funny about it. You have my sympathy.