MyTenSense.com

I was saddened to hear about the death of Corey Haim, one of the biggest and hottest teen stars in the late 1980s.
The Canadian graced the covers of all the teen magazines, and I had his posters on the wall to the right of the head of my bed.

He was so cute as the geeky kid who tried out for the football team to impress a cheerleader on Lucas, and I learned the word “superficial” at age 11 because that’s what Lucas called the cheerleader for choosing the football captain, portrayed by Charlie Sheen, instead of him.
Corey was hilarious on License to Drive, and I learned to never invite a vampire into my house when his character, Sam, made that mistake on The Lost Boys, and I wanted a big white Alaskan Malamute like Sam’s dog Nanook.
Corey’s death at age 38 of an accidental prescription drug overdose is heartbreaking, but it serves as a lesson to the parents who allow their children to run wild and get whatever they want instead of setting rules. It’s also a lesson for parents of young celebrities who let their children set their own rules and control their own money.
Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Kirk Cameron have made smooth transitions from adolescence stardom to adult fame because their parents kept them grounded.

Corey had a reputation for partying and abusing drugs, and he squandered his money as many, many child stars have. And I’ll bet it was a major blow to his self esteem to no longer be in the spotlight.
Corey’s problem is similar to what athletes face when they retire. After getting used to the spotlight and making millions, many retired athletes get hooked on drugs and/or alcohol and some resort to criminal acts.
So I hope parents, who were preteens and teenagers when Corey was famous, use his young death as a lightning rod to do a better job of preparing their children for the hardships of life.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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