To have kept quiet?

[prettymess]

DH and I went to the pub last night. A mum we know was there with her baby girl. A friend had the girl on her lap and dipped baby's dummy in beer and then back into the baby's mouth, several times. Mum saw this and didn't seem to think anything of it. I wanted to say so much, but instead I just sat in shock. Should I have said something?

Ah, there's your mistake - I'm not Mumsnet.

Just one reasonably rational person who happens to disagree with you.

But I see proper terrible parenting all the time so I tend to see a few dribbles of beer as harmless. Not ideal (who is?) but fairly harmless as I said.

I'm curious, what do you think the problem with it is? Just the simple effects of mild poisoning like you would get with Calpol or baby meds?

Or something more serious - long term alcoholism?

Not pissed, but thanks for asking.

It's just so nice to deflect people who don't agree with you with a rationalisation that they must be drunk to disagree with you

I would judge too. My dad apparently used to take me to the park every Sunday for a walk in my pram. He was in fact in the pub,where apparently I used to sip some old dears sherry. Mum thought my pink cheeks were from the fresh air.

My dad dipped my ebf babies dummy in wine. I was very cats bum about it but she's 5 now and seems fine.. YANBU

I was mostly worried about the effect on her teeth (mum said she was teething).

I just don't know why anyone would do it. It's basically a poisonous substance so yeah I'd be worried about long term effects of getting someone into alcohol like that. And what the kid would get given as a toddler if it's getting tastes of beer as a baby and a bit worried about the motives and the immaturity behind it.

And when I said 'Mumsnet' I meant 'posters on this thread' but that seemed a bit long. Not sure why you'd think I meant you? Has there been an election I'm unaware of?

Yeah that 'pissed' thing was a joke cause, see, this is a thread about, like, booze and stuff and, like, it's late at night... Oh never mind.

Several of DHs childless, but should have known better, young colleagues admitted to letting two year old DD1 suck wine of a cork. In retrospect I guess I ought have been annoyed. At the time I was just enjoying someone else keeping an eye on her.

Having absolutely no babysitting, evenings out were rarer than Welsh gold.

An Englishman walks into a bar in Glasgow and asks for a pint of lager and lime

The barman growls 'We don't do cocktails'

Now thats a joke

That was meant to be a at the end of that not a rolly eyes

a ghost asks for whisky
bar keep says:"sorry, we don't serve spirits"

I thought it was illegal to give alcohol to anyone aged under 5, or has that changed?

Thanks all, I am glad I didn't speak up and judged in silence. If anyone had done this with my own kids, as many of you mentioned, it would have been very different. I shall let it wash over me. Goodnight!

Well fuck me sideways only on mumsnet would you find people excusing this shit

Still illegal.

Are there secret prizes being given out for least "bothered"?

Y.N.B.U. Dipping a babies dummy in beer is beyond out of order and very dangerous. We all know children and alchohol don't match. xx

I'd love to know what will happen to the baby? What if a drop of beer fell into a baby's mouth in some bizarre accident? Would you call a doctor? Or an ambulance? Or start putting some money aside for therapy when they grow up to be an alcoholic as soon as they're big enough to reach the fridge?

Because I'd probably just think whoops, but no harm done.

Poor baby, next thing people will be stuffing a ciggie in its mouth.

Shame babies cant say bugger off, I'm teetotal. Unfortunately they can't state a preference.