What age did you let your children start trying alcohol!

[Whoopsywoo]

asking as I feel it shouldn’t until they are 16 my friend says I’m asking to be lied to

My oldest has no interest at 16 so he didn’t get it
my middle one had interest at 14 so he did

it’s not just up to you - it’s also what the teenager is up to

I think 16 is reasonable. With adult supervision of course.

We let ours have a tiny sip of sweet wine when they were 12ish. They hated it and therefore have zero interest a couple of years later. I’m sure it’ll change.

I’d say about 16 too. But I come from a family of drinkers, I was allowed alcohol from a young age and have always drunk far too much. Hence I don’t subscribe to the view that if it’s normalised from a relatively early age, children won’t think it’s such a big deal. But I also think it’s a very individual choice.

I allowed a bit at 16 but DD wasn't interested until she turned 18. DS has no interest at 15.

DC16 has the very odd Koppaberg with a meal and has a Baileys at Christmas, they have no real interest in it.

My siblings DC is slightly younger than DS and regularly gets falling down drunk/vomiting on booze supplied by my sibling (and yes I am judging).

My DD has been allowed to drink at family weddings since 14.

And at friends parties since she turned 15.

At home, she's had the odd sip since she was about 10.

18 - absolutely no need to advocate under age drinking.

We were allowed to have sips of what adults were drinking around 10/11 and decided it was disgusting. Wine watered down with lemonade was allowed from secondary as part of a family meal if we wanted to.

Drinking socially as a teen from 15/16 was the norm with my friends.

It would have some of Mumsnet clutching their pearls but as an adult I went teetotal in my 20s and none of my siblings binge drink or have the weird outlook where alcohol is required to unwind.

Odd sip at 10 yrs. I was given alcohol at 6 months so I’m a bit paranoid about getting it right for my kids.

My parents brewed wine, and I don't remember a time when I wouldn't be given little glasses to try (with orange juice added at first). Certainly we were having it form young primary age.
I drink perhaps 3-4 times a year now, may have a glass of cider occasionally and maybe a glass of wine for Christmas.

So I'm fairly relaxed about my dc having alcohol. They've all been allowed a half glass from about age 10yo. The 22yo occasionally will have a glass of wine, perhaps every 2-3 months. The 19yo doesn't like any alcohol at all. The 15yo likes a half glass of cider if I'm having some and will tell you he likes a beer, but doesn't really.

Early teens- and all have a relatively sensible attitude to alcohol now they’re in their mid 20s.

I think that to totally forbid something makes it much more desirable so ..

Whenever they asked. One had a sip of beer at about 8, another tried my wine at about 11, one of them decided they liked baileys at around 13....basically we're just totally open with them about alcohol and don't make it into a thing.
Now I have two old enough to drink but they don't bother very much. Two are too young, one of them thinks its disgusting and says they won't ever....we shall see.

More than just a sip from 15. They are now upper teens/early 20s and neither drinks much. Not at all like I was at their age.

Exactly the same. I let them try everything when they asked.
They are now in their 20s and don't drink a lot. We've only had a few drunken incidents over the years and that was just them throwing up.
If you ban it they will do it anyway. I'd rather they did it safely at home while they learn their limits

Early teens. Banning it just makes them sneak around and drink in the park. Mine don't seem too bothered so the casual approach seems to have worked.

DD is 7 and occasionally asks to try a sip of DHs beer…. Then usually goes “bleurgh!” as it’s so bitter.

she’s not asked to try my drinks which is good as she would probably like them because I like sweet drinks.

I won’t offer it but will let them try a tiny sip if they ask. I’d let them have a small drink with a meal from about 14 I reckon. This is the approach my parents took and it was fine, it meant there wasn’t a big excitement or secret about trying alcohol but it wasn’t regular enough to be a normal thing either.

I dont drink regularly so its not a culture at home nor at my parents house with the exception of Christmas and BBQs but even then I tend to drink alcohol free cider like Bulmers as it tastes the same and I have no need to get drunk. DD has had those and declares she likes them and getting drunk is stupid so hopefully shell stick to that although shes still a younger teen at present. Ill offer her a weak bucks fizz and a very weak snowball at Christmas with me and my mum but she probably wont take it she prefers water.

Mine have both had little sips (of beer) from toddlers. Eldest never liked it, youngest is quite partial! Tbh it's rare we have it in the house compared to most, only a few times a year.

My parents did the same with us as kids, I remember my brother being put to bed early at 2 years old as he had snuck around at the BBQ finishing the dregs of everyone's beer! 😬😲 I remember having wine with lemonade with Christmas dinner from about 10.

I never drink, I have been drunk drunk once in my life on my 18th and that wasn't blackout, could still walk in a fairly straight line. My brother goes on the occasional night out but again I've never known him to go overboard, he doesn't drink regularly either.

My dc are 10 & 11 and have had occasional sips of different alcoholic drinks since they were starting school. I'm obviously not talking about them having it every night or something lol but at events like Christmas or big parties then yes, they've had tastes.

I suppose that they'll be having small drinks more often as they go through their teens.

16 year old ds has had beer once or twice. I was drinking southern and comfort and coke from the age of 14 and went on to be quite a big drinker. I don't want that for him.

It's not though if it is in the home

It’s not like 18’s the legal drinking age though is it?

Have allowed DD14 a small glass on occasions ie Christmas or our wedding. Recently found she had been sneaking some of our alcohol (we rarely drink so wouldn't notice but she shared this freely with us). Found she had been drinking with friends at sleepovers. Spoke to one of the mums about it who said her daughter never drinks etc. My DD told me she's the worst one for it. So just goes to show you never know!

My Dad was an alcoholic and I had a picture of me sat on our back door step at 3 years old, drinking the ends of the beer cans which had been left out in the sun and tasted a bit sugary.

I had wine with Sunday lunch for about 6 yrs and my Dad mixed snowball cocktails for us at Xmas. Also shandy and fizzy wine and orange juice all from about 10 yrs.

Bonkers. I had a very dysfunctional relationship with alcohol until I gave it up at 35.