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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my DD 6 is old enough to try a sip of wine???

135 replies

Cinderffingrella · 16/02/2008 23:05

My MIL it utterly outraged...but my parents let me have it VERY watered down from a similar age, and I'm not even going that far. Incidentally, I barely drink....

OP posts:
LyraSilvertongue · 16/02/2008 23:52

DS1 has had a tiny taste of wine from me dipping my finger in the glass and putting it on his tongue. He said "yum". Oh dear.

Pofacedandarrogant · 16/02/2008 23:54

I agree with trollsky-am divided.
We let DD1 and DD2 have Bucks Fizz at Xmas but can also remember DD3 aged 8 having tiny sips of champagne age dv much younger at Xmas.
I was horrified at a friend- DD aged 15 and a half , he was ordering double vodkas for her on holiday last year and nearly bought her a bottle to have for her room, she was sharing with DD 14 and another child aged 13.My DH told him it was inappropriate.
But I want them to have their first inevitable alcoholic excess within the family so we can take care of her-I honestly don't know what is the right thing to do!

Pofacedandarrogant · 16/02/2008 23:55

In my experience, my two early teenage daughters actively dislike the taste of wine. But vodka, now that worries me-these party drinks are aimed at teenagee girl tastes-sweet and fruity.

Klaw · 16/02/2008 23:59

I can remember getting homemade tia maria with cream on top before I was 7. We also got shandy at the braai (barbecue in Africa)

I have been known to get pissed on odd occassions but I am not an alcoholic! And I'd just as soon not drink these days....

I think it's better to allow children to try supervised tastng sessions with their parents than for them to go out and get plastered because it's always been a taboo subject.

amytheearwaxbanisher · 17/02/2008 00:00

a taste is no harm i hate wine so very much if someone gave me a swig at an early age i probably would have waited a year or two longer to try alcohol!

edam · 17/02/2008 00:00

My grandmother used to give us her own wine as it was home made therefore harmless... my mother was Not Amused when she had to stop my baby sister swinging punches at me.

wineisthewaytomyheart · 17/02/2008 00:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

minouminou · 17/02/2008 00:07

absolutely fine!
there's 2 pics of me, aged three, at xmas. one with a full (thimbleful) glass of sherry, one with an empty one and a lop-sided grin!
always had very light drinks at Xmas and other special occasions, always had a v healthy attitude to alcohol
now coffee.............? that's a different matter
oddly enough, i was denied the good stuff until i found out about it for myself (ma used to give me mellow bloody birds and keep the decent stuff for herself!)
I'm crazy about coffee - always have been, always will be....because it was DENIED to me!!!!!!!!!!

Pesha · 17/02/2008 00:13

Somerset actually Scottish mummy!

Although I agree the champagne in a limo was a little er...well, its not what I'll be doing at my own wedding anyway!!

Pan · 17/02/2008 00:17

is everyone's tongue firmly in their cheeks for this thread?? Why would anyone want to poison their children??

ah! as a nation we clearly don't drink enough as it is, and need to coach 'em early....

Heathcliffscathy · 17/02/2008 00:23

keep your panic pants on pan. dipping a finger into wine is hardly poisoning is it?

blah blah blah in france blah part of life, blah, always with food blah, no binge drinking, blah far less alcoholism blah...

i'm not really telling you anything you don't know am i?

Pan · 17/02/2008 00:29

they are my judgeypants, if you don't mind, S.......

3andnomore · 17/02/2008 00:49

lol...judgeypants...what they look like?

madamez · 17/02/2008 00:49

A little bit of watered wine with a meal or as a treat won't hurt. BTW if I remember rightly it's against the law to give alcohol to a child under 5.

MummyDoIt · 17/02/2008 08:21

I'm amazed that the general opinion on MN is more tolerant to giving sips of wine to small children than Fruit Shoots!

Having said that, I'm in the 'small sips of wine won't do any harm and stop it being forbidden fruit' and 'fruit shoots are the work of the devil' camps myself.

kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 08:27

We've got pictures of my younger brother with a pint when he was about 3!
He didnt really like it though.
As long as you dont give her a whole glass there is no problem with her trying some

tortoiseSHELL · 17/02/2008 08:38

I think it's fine to give them a taste - I've let all our children have a taste of anything, they've always said 'yuck, disgusting'!!!

I do think that allowing a responsible attitude in the home leads to fewer problems later - so when they're 14-15 I will let them have a glass of wine with a meal at home, if they want to.

We ABSOLUTELY weren't allowed alcohol at home when we were kids, and both my brother and I had some very hazy evenings as teenagers....

oliviaelanasmum · 17/02/2008 08:43

My two eldest daughters (6 & 2.9) will have sips of what ever we are drinking, i'd rather its no big mystery to them rather than them getting pissed in a bus shelter when they are 13. At christmas they both had tiny little glasses of champagne with their meal, and as we were abroad no-one looked askance!

belgo · 17/02/2008 08:48

Cinderfreggella - I think you have the right attitude - the attitude to alcohol in my parent's house was the same and it worked in my case - I've hardly ever been drunk.

Mummudoit - the problem with fruit shoots is that they are marketed specifically to children, and they taste gross

CantSleepWontSleep · 17/02/2008 08:48

Anyone thought to mention that it's illegal to give alcohol to under 5's yet?

cornsilk · 17/02/2008 08:48

I think in this country it is the culture to get pissed out of your face. I don't think sips of wine will alter that really. They'll not be drinking wine when they're teenagers - it'll be bottles of cider and alcopops. Also don't believe that giving sips of wine will do any harm at all BTW.

AbbeyA · 17/02/2008 08:50

The opening OP is not talking about giving a DC an alcoholic drink! She is talking about a little sip which IMO is a sensible thing. We have always done it if they ask, not in a separate glass, just a sip out of parents. What happens is that they pull a face, or they try and be brave and not pull a face. It is much better than forbidding even a taste (anything banned is immediately exciting!). It has worked fine. The eldest didn't like it at all and wouldn't touch alcohol when he was in 6th form. I tried to get him to taste it because I thought it would be part of the culture when he was at University and better to start at home.He does now drink but never has very much.I think it is standard practice in France where their drinking culture is much more responsible than the UK.
It is nothing like giving a puff of a cigarette-adults shouldn't be smoking!! It is proven to be a killer.Alcohol,in moderation, is good for you.

belgo · 17/02/2008 08:52

I agree with Abby and Cornsilk - there is something wrong with the attitude towards alcohol in the UK.

AbbeyA · 17/02/2008 09:03

I think there is something very wrong with our attitude in UK!! It seems to be taken as read that teenagers will binge drink! Some parents on here binge drink as a good night out! I got drunk when I was younger (never to insensible)but I grew out of it! It would spoil an evening if I was going to be ill and then hung over the next day.I like a drink, especially with a meal or at a party but I know my limits and when to stop. I think that I am a good role model for DCs with alcohol and for that reason would let them have a taste, at whatever age they ask.I do not expect them to be out on the streets drunk at 13 yrs! I would not supply my teenager with alcohol to take to a party-plenty of parents do.

TallDaddy · 17/02/2008 09:13

If my children want to try something (within reason) I will let them at least try it. I have children that like things like Chili, tobasco sauce, raw garlic, octopus and even beetroot (the devils vegetable).

They have tried wine and beer and have their likes and dislikes. My 6 year old only likes the taste of real ale, does not like lager etc.... He also took part in a wine tasting in greece, having just the tinyist amounts in a glass and even the wine producer said that he had an advanced pallette as he knew what he liked the tast of and what he didn't.

My parents did the same with me and I have never been into going out and getting horrendously drunk on cheap beer and other alcohol. I would much prefer a good bottle of wine or a fine whisky, which is an expensive habit and as a teenager you cannot afford to get drunk on! I hope that my kids all follow suit. (my stepdaughter is 9 an finds any alchohol repulsive)