To have given my Dd "Barbie Wine"

[justaweeone]

Currently on holiday at the moment and have let Dd 16 have a very weak Buck's Fizz . She has just reminded Dh and I how from the age of about 6 to 10 years she had barbie wine.( ie a glass of water served in a wine glass with literally a drop of red wine to colour it pink)!!!
Feel a bit horrified now and Ds 11 didn't have anything like that as young as 6 years but we have let him have a can of non alchoholic beer on hols.

She's 16, she's with you, it was a very weak drink....no issues I say.

You feel horrified you gave your child water?

Sorry I've probably totally misunderstood, but why are you horrified?

Ah, I've just re-read the post. You gave your DD (aged 6-10) a glass of water with a drop of red wine in it...nothing horrific about that. It won't have harmed her. We were allowed a teeny (shot glass) of Cinzano at Christmas when we were about 10! I didn't grow up to be an alcoholic or anything

I just think I might not do it now!! I also probably would not give the dried fruit, a carton of oj in their lunch ( told off ) by the dentist and lots if other things I used to do that probably would not do( list is endless );-)

Yanbu.

I'm sure there is research evidence that children who have been allowed small amounts of alcohol in childhood i.e at weddings, Xmas etc are less likely to binge drink & drink without parental permission.

And it's the norm in some countries for children to have small amounts of alcohol growing up. My Grandparents are italian and we always had red wine as children & the odd snowball at Xmas.

I do love a G & T now though!

Them

You probably wouldn't do it now

There are 1000s of things we don't do now that seemed perfectly normal years ago.

Honestly, don't give it another thought.

That´s fine and also legal in the U.K. There is much to be said in favour of showing your children responsible drinking - in moderation, with food, in the company of family.

I've read the OP totally differently. Are you horrified you called it 'Barbie wine'? That's hilarious!

I can't work this out and I feel like a bad parent because I'm not horrified and I feel I'm meant to be.

Why was it so wrong? My nephews 7&11 are allowed something similar on holidays. Ds is only 2.5 so living on the edge is a fruit shoot for him!

My parents used to do that too, at something like Christmas dinner. The world's tiniest drop of wine and loads of lemonade. I thought that was what most people had growing up?

my grandma used to give me a snowball at xmas .very 70,s from about 10 i think ..dont remember the social services ever visiting lol

There is much to be said in favour of showing your children responsible drinking - in moderation, with food, in the company of family.

That's how I see it too. Trying to introduce alcohol not as something forbidden.

Thirteen - yes it is the fact I called it barbie wine!! But also I do think I wouldn't want to be a parent if young children now as you have so much of the ' I mustn't do that!etc .....'
Think Dd and Ds have turned out ok but not sure if they have had enough sun cream on today!

Pippin no the evidence shows the opposite

Silly - they have had lots of fruits shoots in their life!!

April - I has a snowball as well growing up
Much prefer a G & T now

There is nothing wrong with your Barbie Wine. When my mother was at school in France in the 50s there would be a jug of water and a jug of wine on the table which the children (as young as about 6) diluted to taste like ribena. My mother has grown up such a lightweight that she practically never drinks and gets v drunk on one glass of champagne on Christmas Day.

I watched the Russel Brand doc about addiction and it was very interesting as some people believe there's a gene responsible for making people more susceptible to addiction than others are. So no matter whether you're allowed alcohol or not, you might just end up addicted anyway if you're going to.

I was allowed diluted wine from the age of 5 or 6 on special occasions.

I drink very little now - 2 units a week, unless it's Christmas.

Goodness, I allowed my then 12 or 13 year old niece to have a glass of full strength wine at my parents' Golden Wedding lunch. She asked, knew her mother would not object. But she asked permission. As far as I know she is not a raging alcoholic.

I worked in addictions and my take on it is that this really is a non-issue. The two biggest influences I saw were; parental addictions or unhealthy drinking/drug use; abuse and neglect in childhood.

It's all very chicken and egg though. Is the influence heritable? Probably but how heavily? There is likely to be much more abuse and neglect if the parents are addicts so is that cause or effect.

A drop of Barbie wine won't do it.

Ds is 7 and occasionally has a teeny sip of cider. I don't let dd (4) have any.