Friend sharing picture of her 12 year old drinking beer on Facebook

[GallopingAss]

He's 12 (nearly 13) and she's shared three photos of him drinking cans of Stella with his dad on Facebook with a caption 'getting into the holiday spirit'. AIBU to think this is entirely shit parenting or am I being nosy and judgemental? Obviously I don't know how much of it he drank - could be one sip, could be multiple drinks - and my own parents let me have the occasional demystifying sip of their alcoholic drinks throughout my childhood (and I'm ok). But she's putting this out there when she really shouldn't be proud of it, IMO, plus he may not want photos of him drinking 6 years underage to be floating round the ether when he's a grown up looking for work.

Are you sure it's really him drinking the beer and not just a joke?

Is she an irresponsible parent otherwise?

Well she's a playgroup leader so in that sense she's always been very child oriented and aware of young ones' needs. On the other hand her son has been playing adult rated shoot em up X Box games since he was 5 or 6 so I think she definitely sees age restrictions as advisory rather than what you need to stick to.

Is he drinking at home? Perfectly legal, nothing "underage" at all

There is a pic of my niece holding a beer and a glass of champagne but she wasn't drinking either. maybe they are just playing about.

It's in their back garden.

I've got a picture somewhere of one of my children at about 18 months holding a lager can and surprise surprise he didn't actually drink any lager. Total over reaction to what is extremely likely to be a joke.

To be fair, having a small drink at 12 isn't that bad. If she was letting him get drunk, that's another matter. Allowing your child to drink small amounts actually gives them a better, more healthy relationship with alcohol as they get older. We're not big drinkers and my 12 year old won't even sniff alcohol lol but I can't see a problem if she had a small drink.

How do you even know just from a FB picture that he was even really having a drink?
You do know that people post any old shit on Facebook sometimes, right?!

There is nothing "drinking underage" when he's 12, underage is 4.

YABU.

Unless they're chopping up lines of coke and saying "Getting into the Ibiza spirit" I wouldn't worry.

Doubtful he's actually drinking, and even if he has had a Stella with his dad it's perfectly legal at home with parents.

I expect it was probably meant as a jokey post though

I can't see a problem TBH. As you say you don't know how much they drank if any at all. As there's a picture chances are it was staged anyway.

It's probably staged for a laugh. But I always wonder at these threads when people pop up quoting that weird old law about kids drinking at home . Like because it's legal it makes it perfectly ok, how dare you judge them?!

Has anyone mentioned that 4 year olds drink wine with every meal in France yet?

He isn't under age drinking, he can legally have a drink in the home over the age of 5.

It's not something I would do however.

If in England and at home, it's legal over the age of 5.

If in a pub it's legal at 16 or 17 if having it with a meal and someone 18+ is paying, or completely legal if 18 or over.

So if he was at home in England he is not 'drinking 6 years underage'.

Of course there are other laws in other countries.

When (much) younger I and my whole class were very pleasantly surprised to find we were legally allowed to get drunk share in parents alcohol consumption at home. Mentioned in context in a class about different laws, not just a wind-up from a funny teacher.

With DCs of my own I have also checked up more recently as two of them have wanted to try the occasional drink we have, the info is still correct.

Some people are being disingenuous.

People use 'underage drinking' to refer to drinking under the age at which it's legal to buy and drink alcohol in public. In other words, 21 in the US and 18 in the U.K.

'Demystifying alcohol' is some wine with dinner at 15/16, not cans of Stella in the garden with your dad when you're 12.

No wonder the U.K. has such a big alcohol problem.

But aren't they advisory? Not law.
I can also take ds2 to a 12A film if I choose. I think you are completely over-reacting and being judgemental.

It could be quite innocent. When our 3 year old visited us we visited a neighbour who makes his own wine and he gave her a glass of the unfermented grape juice. Her mother was mortified when DGD told staff at nursery that she had been drinking wine.

These are the guidelines for children drinking alcohol. Presumably arrived at with input from medical professionals.