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

Well we drink very little which clearly has an impact, as none of them have shown any great interest. 15 year old who expressed an interest has been given a bottle of alcohol free beer on special occasions (I know it's pretty wild round mine). 11 yo had a sip of my (alcohol free) beer and decided it was ukky. 17 year old is now going out socialising so I assume will drink a little on occasion when out.

Yeah other posts have made me think I don't feel kids these days are obsessed by drinking as they did when I was a kid/teenager, I guess weare looking at the ideas through adult eyes

I don't think I have to worry about this for a while, DD is only 7 and neither DH or I drink a great deal.

I was allowed to taste whatever my parents were drinking from around age 10, and would have a splash of wine, topped up with lemonade on a Sunday. As I got older there weren't many restrictions on drinking at home, my parents didn't want me to get drunk in the park (obviously I did - rite of passage) so it was never a big thing.

Hopefully we'll be as sensible as my parents were, they came across as "oh help yourself " but the reality was they carefully made drinking alcohol seem boring and not anything wildly exciting.

I don't think I have to worry about this for a while, DD is only 7 and neither DH or I drink a great deal.

I was allowed to taste whatever my parents were drinking from around age 10, and would have a splash of wine, topped up with lemonade on a Sunday. As I got older there weren't many restrictions on drinking at home, my parents didn't want me to get drunk in the park (obviously I did - rite of passage) so it was never a big thing.

Hopefully we'll be as sensible as my parents were, they came across as "oh help yourself " but the reality was they carefully made drinking alcohol seem boring and not anything wildly exciting.

Wow, that seems late. You might kit allow it but I'd say from 14 onwards children are coming into contact with alcohol via their peers and parties

I’ve always found the idea of alcohol to unwind really bizarre too! I thought I was the only one ha!

I was allowed snowballs and baby tan at New Year’s parties as a young teen. It was never ‘forbidden’ but alcoholism runs in my dads family and I did a lot of wild partying in my early 20’s. I’m now 43 and can’t actually tell you the last time I had a drink. I’m just not that interested.

Mine has had a sip of champagne or pimms on occasion. 8.
My uncle used to give his baby a sip of whiskey and rub it on her gums when she was teething. Back in the 80s.

For my DC I allowed:

• small sips of alcohol from about age 12
• drinking at parties from 15, but only on cans of cider/WKD provided by DH and I, no more than 3/4 per DC, and always collected from parties. Only ever had one DC picked up properly drunk at 16 from trying spirits, she was (reasonably) punished but then stuck to our rule of only weak drinks bought by parents.
• their own choice when they became adults at 18. None of them went crazy and binge drunk, and now in their 20s they all only drink small amounts.

I think moderation is the key. I frown upon parents who let their underage DC get paralytic in the home or at friends’ parties, but I also think completely banning alcohol just encourages dangerous experimenting and immaturity with handling alcohol once the DC is 18.

Seems like making it forbidden fruit to me. Id just allow sips to taste (usually puts them off!) from secondary school age and as they get older (14ish) a small glass of wine for special occasions.
You don’t want their first experiences to be at a party doing shots and making themselves ill! You want them to know that’s a bad idea and over indulging in alcohol seem silly and immature to them by the time the big parties start.

I started a similar thread in Christmas a couple of days ago (asking what parents of teens gave them for Christmas dinner)
I've a nearly 20 year old, who has never drunk alcohol as he's just never been interested.
My 15 year old on the other hand you know would maybe try a drink if you let him 🙄😁
He doesn't seem that bothered though so whilst is still happy with fizzy drinks and juices will just carry on going along with those!

Some baptisms involve giving the baby a drop of wine. It is also given after circumcision for Jewish boys.

I was given wine in church when I was a bridesmaid, I was about 9 or 10 at the time.

18+ outside the house.

Inside the house - 20+

Small sips - like 12ish
glass of beer or wine on special occasions - 13-14
a couple of cans of their own choice for the parties - 15.

They will sneal and drink with their mates anyway, and you will not know it - its a rite of passage.

I don't have children but was allowed a bit of alcohol at home from around 13-14 years of age.

I was always allowed a little bit of Baileys while we decorated the tree and some fizz on Christmas Day if I wanted it.

I'm 34 now and barely drink as I find it messes with my sleep too much. In the last year I've had two Disaronno and cokes, and a Baileys coffee - that's it 🤣

I grew up having very occasional sips of my parents very occasional glasses of wine, from the age of maybe 7 or 8.
Mine 2 are nearly 6 and have both tried tiny sips of wine - both didn't like it.

I think most teenagers in the UK are starting to drink socially with friends from about age 15.