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Original poster

Giving 9yo alcohol....

41 replies

AngieBolen · 26/12/2014 19:04

WWYD if you were having a family Christmas meal and your 9yo was given a drink 1/3 red wine
2/3 lemon aid?

OP posts:
PonderousTortoise · 26/12/2014 20:05

I was wondering about this the other day. I can't remember tht well but I think we were all regularly given watered down wine with our dinner from about 6 or 7 years old. It seemed quite normal at the time - although we didn't know anyone else who did it - but I was wondering how horrified people would be now.

Fwiw if my parents were thinking that normalising drinking in moderation would stop us going overboard later on they were very mistaken!

PonderousTortoise · 26/12/2014 20:09

Although back to the Question in the OP - if my child was given it and I didn't want them to have it, I would just say, 'No thank you, dd will just have lemonade thanks' and explain briefly to dd that alcohol can be dangerous for children and you'd like her to wait until she's older - you're the parents so you make that decision.

If someone have it to dd without my noticing I would be angry and tell them that was inappropriate and that as it could be controversial parents should always be consulted first.

Theredandthewhite · 26/12/2014 20:10

It's fine. My 9/7/4 year old all had champagne with lunch yesterday (v small amount obviously)

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Italiangreyhound · 26/12/2014 20:11

I'd say lo doesn't drink alcohol yet and change it for a lemonade.

My child, my rules.

What do you think and what did you do?

If it was given without asking me first I would be very cross and explain that my child doesn't drink alcohol.

Italiangreyhound · 26/12/2014 20:12

I personally think sweetening it with a fizzy drink is the worst way to introduce it as it disguises its taste and makes it more acceptable.

Ohmygrood · 26/12/2014 20:14

Not fine.
I think that people who are over keen for children to drink alcohol are a bit strange. What's the rush?

GlitzAndGigglesx · 26/12/2014 20:15

I wouldn't be overjoyed but it was a little bit mixed. The person didn't give them a bottle of cava and tell them to drink it in 5 minutes flat. I used to have Buck's Fizz with my xmas dinner at that age. Just one glass mind mixed with Orange juice which I didn't know at the time so thought I was all grown up

HerrenaHarridan · 26/12/2014 20:15

I would be furious if someone gave dd alcohol without checking at 9. Not so at 13.

I would let MY 9yo taste my drink but would serve them their own. 13 yo i would serve a glass to in diluting juice proportions.

AskBasil4StuffingRecipe · 26/12/2014 20:17

Someone I know gave my DD a very weak snowball at Christmas last year, she was 11.

I was pissed off, not because DD had had a snowball, but because she hadn't asked me first. I would have said no tbh, because I don't really see why she needs one, but I don't think it's terrible that she had one. I just think it's incredible that people have no manners about this. It's just one of those things you automatically check, like 2 year olds with chocolate. It's manners.

BonjourMinou · 26/12/2014 20:27

I wouldn't worry too much if it was what someone else was doing with their own child - after all they water down wine with meals in France all the time and people do what they feel is best for their own children - but if it was my child and without asking I'd be very angry indeed.

Original poster
AngieBolen · 27/12/2014 09:56

Well I said "Oh, that's to sting for her. Give that to ds1 (who is 15yo) instead."

The host brought out two more glasses, and asked me to pour how much wine I wanted the DC to have... I put a small drop, just enough to colour the lemon aid, and the host said "I see I gave her far too much" and I apologised for being awkward. Because it was obvious others though I was being awkward and fussy.

It was an excellent bottle of red wine and really shouldn't have been mixed with lemonade at all! Grin

OP posts:
PiratePanda · 27/12/2014 11:58

Grin you should have just said No, my daughter will just have [non alcoholic drink]. It would be an absolute travesty to mix that excellent red with lemonade

notauniquename · 01/01/2015 21:33

When I was growing up I was always allowed alcohol, especially at Christmas.
The first time I was "drunk" that I can recall was at home (not throwing up or anything).

My parents thought was that this would help me to understand drinking, and know when to stop.
Of course I have drunk more than enough at times - everyone has.

I had quite a few friends whose parents were more strict.

This had the effect that as soon as DD or DS was able to go out of the house without parents, they got drunk. very very drunk, and I was left holding hair out of the way or patting backs whilst they were being sick in a car park.

So my personal experience is that if a person wants to teach their kids about safe consumption of alcohol, then they should teach responsible drinking by example.
It's weird, I wouldn't advise teaching about drugs in the same way.

Of course, other people shouldn't be giving your kids alcohol at all, and should at least ask your permission.

lemisscared · 01/01/2015 21:38

id think you were trying to put them off. red wine and lemonade is just wrong

CortisolandCaffeine · 01/01/2015 21:40

Gross sounding and pointless.

WineWineWine · 01/01/2015 21:51

Not a huge deal but it should be the parents who decide.

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