Buffy Alums Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan in Teens & Heath

From adolescent actors to adolescent mothers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alums Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan have all seen. While they do not kill vampires or casting spells, they use their platform to talk about something that may not be on parents radar: meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis.

After over 20 years, Hannigan and Gellar have been working together once again, this time for a new original Lifetime movie brought to you by GSK’s Ask2bsure campaign called Sufficiently hurtsabout encouraging parents of adolescents and young adults to begin a discussion on meningitis and vaccination.

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, with different strains such as A, B, C, and Y and may be life -threatening.

In fact, the numbers show that one in ten who get it will die. “It’s a crazy number,” Gellar said. “You don’t really see numbers like this. And one in ten he caught, but Live could have really serious disabilities, from brain injury until he loses the limbs.”

And Hannigan said herself how “enlightening” was to learn about all the executives, saying: “When I spoke with my teenager’s pediatrician, it was so informative, I didn’t know that they existed and that B was a separate vaccination.

As they combine for this important cause, Gellar and Hannigan also take the time to show gratitude for their long -term friendship. During our conversation, it was like watching the best friends remembering everything. In fact, Gellar still said, “I went to do I know what you did last summerAnd I had never used a washing machine. [Hannigan] It teaches me how to use the machine on the phone. ”

They are stories like what make you realize that their friendship is full of laughter, sweet stories and painful moments that make you realize that your loved ones grow up from your childhood – and work to make life easier for fellow parents. Talking about, both are proud mothers of the two with their long -term favorites. Gellar and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr, have two children together: Charlotte, born in 2009, and Rocky, born in 2012. And for Hannigan, she and her ex Wise Co -starring Alexis Denisof welcomed two daughters named Satyana Marie, born in 2009, and Keeva Jane, born in 2012.

Before the mom’s virtual duo discusses everything from talking to your child’s doctor, what Wise Characters their children love and how they cultivate their children’s independence.

SK: How do you browse on the ever -evolving changes that come by being a teenager’s parent?

Sarah Michelle Gellar: Funny this after 2020, I never wanted to hear the word pivot again. But the truth is that it is really accurate when it comes to how we have to parents these days. It’s the wild, wild west. You know, there is no roadmap. The children who came before they did not live in this digital age. Something worked, something didn’t work and really to stay flexible.

Alyson Hannigan: My daughter is 16 now, but when she was 15 years old, 15 was my worst year, so I was like preparing myself. I kept saying to myself, these are the years that will apologize to me for later. And you know what? He has already done it. She went far and visited her cousins ​​and wrote this wonderful email because her cousin was passing by. And it was like, “I’m so sorry for all these eyes!”

SMG: Funny you say that, I’m not great in tips, but someone gave me this advice when my kids were babies. And it was the best advice I ever got, which I had to add “for now” until the end of each sentence. What I realized as a parent is that you should always add “for now” because “my children are rolling their eyes for now”, my daughter does not want to spend time with me for now “and” my son provokes my power for now “, because they will all change.

SK: This campaign is about the importance of vaccination of meningitis. What do you want the parents of adolescents and young adults to know?

Ah: This is an important issue for both of us, and we are so happy that we work with GSK to raise awareness of meningococcal disease, which is meningitis. It is an unusual but serious illness that often has serious complications, including death, sometimes as fast as within 24 hours. So we’re here to get aware Ask2bsure.com so that parents are authorized to ask their adolescent doctor for meningitis vaccine. Your teenagers, especially from 16 to 23, are the most sensitive to meningitis.

SMG: You have to ask the questions. It is very difficult as a parent. There are so many elements that come to you that you don’t even know what the questions you need to ask. And I think this is the important message we are trying to relay: If you want to be sure, ask. This is the question of being sure. Knowledge is power and so we can protect our most vulnerable youth. At this age, because you make such great decisions, your children are starting to go to adults, taking on some of their power when it comes to medicine and worry about other things that may not be the first thing that even your doctor even highlights. We are not trying to scare people, we try to say that we will receive the information and make these decisions based on the appropriate doctor’s information.

SK: Is there a specific question that you think is a good basis for parents to ask if they are not sure what to do in the first place?

SMG: Tell me your thoughts about meningitis vaccination. Is my child protected? How can I find out everything about it? Learn about complications. Find out how your child could be influenced by it and then make your decision based on the information your doctor.

Ah: None of us have even played a doctor. So we just say, make sure you ask your doctor because it was so informative when I had this conversation with my doctor.

SMG: When you talk to your doctor, it’s just the simplest form “here’s the information, here is how to better protect your child and make this decision”.

SK: I have to ask a little bit about Buffy. Do you have your kids to see Buffy? And if they have, are you their favorite character?

Ah: Oh, good question. Mine doesn’t have.

SMG: Yes, my daughter’s favorite character is Angel. Oh, and my son likes Spike. Go shape. I got one of each.

SK: I really like how both were friends for so long. Do you have lessons from your long friendship that you use to teach your children the importance of relationships of all kinds?

Ah: I think it’s so nice when you have friendships where it can be a year or whatever, and then we run to each other at Michael’s. And all of a sudden, two hours later, we are still in the glitter corridor as time has not passed.

SMG: When you have shared experiences, that doesn’t go away. And as you mature, you think you are learning to appreciate it differently.

SK: How do you enhance independence with your teens?

Ah: Well, I love that we live in a neighborhood where places can walk, so I will send them to the grocery store to get milk or butter or anything else. Just to browse this world, I think, it strengthens for them.

SMG: She rationalize the fact that she does not pay her children to be her assistant. [Laughs] I’m not so sure of that!

Ah: They offset it by buying candy!

SK: So, with this, how do you strengthen your bond with your children, especially in the age of social media?

Ah: My kids are not in social media, so it’s great. [But] There was a short period of time when he had Tiktok and lost the privilege. It was very nice for all of us when he lost the privilege and realized it. It was like, “I can’t believe I will admit this, but it’s much better not to have it.”

SMG: He walks a fine line because you don’t want to depend completely on it, but at the same time, you also want to understand. And if you make something taboo, then all they will do is slip it. So it’s really about opening talks. And goes back to ask to be sure.

Ah: It’s all about these conversations. And if your kids know that they can discuss things with you, and if you can, you know, have this relationship where we are not going to judge, it’s about talking, it’s about answers.

SK: How did Mom change the way you define success both personally and professionally?

SMG: I think in our twenties, success was fully led by our work and this measure is completely different when you have children. But everything gets a back seat in your family and what they do and how they feel. The job is great and it’s fun, but it’s not everything it was.

Ah: It’s just the millions of little moments that mean so much. Our family loves to be together and even with the Roller sprint. I think that’s how we know we’re doing okay. We all make mistakes, but I just want to make sure they want to come back and visit when they are in college.

Before you go, see where your favorite parents send their children to college.