What age did your teen drink at family events?

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Eg drinking Prosecco as an arrival drink? Small glass of wine etc

My 14 and 16 yo DDs have zero interest in alcohol and both say they don't ever plan to drink, (no doubt time will tell) despite our family not having problematic drinking habits. I think it's partly a generational thing, younger people seem to be more health conscious and less interested in drinking than my generation were (I'm in my 40s).

I have never offered them alcohol either, nor have my extended family. Research shows the earlier you start drinking, even a little bit, the more likely you are to have alcohol disorder issues later in life.

Dd began to drink at around age 14/15. Ds is 19 and still does not drink.

She wasn't allowed to drink at family events held in a licensed venue until they were 18 but at small family gatherings from around 15 years old.

We've never had a family event and I don't drink. 16yo DS isn't interested. Some of his mates drink but he doesn't. He's seen some of them get in a right mess.

I had a small (smaller than an eggcup) glass of wine at Christmas and special occasions from a really young age - alcohol was never banned, never taboo. I was the only one of my friends that didn't get completely bladdered as a teen as I just wasn't bothered by alcohol. Even now as an adult I don't drink very often at all.
I've tried the same approach with my dd 13 and she asks for a glass of wine and then takes a sip and doesn't actually want it. She hates the taste. Of course I wouldn't let her get drunk but one small drink is fine.

yes my dad died too from his alcoholism. I just worry about my overall attitude to alcohol, I do drink but now drinking less and less eg I’ll have the arrival Prosecco and that’s it.

Can’t believe someone said 12 plus. That’s the worry our kids go to homes like that where dimwits give 12 year olds booze. Happened to a family member her son was given spirits at 13 by his fitness parents she was rightly furious

Friends parents not fitness

My DS is 18 and has no interest in alcohol at all. His friends drink and he goes out with them but always drinks water . It genuinely doesn’t bother him at all.

This was in an external licensed venue so yes a family event in that we had our own space but not a private home.

I remember tasting parents wine from an early teenager and being allowed a WKD or two at family gathering from around 15! Never went crazy with drinking after turning 18 as it wasn't anything new to me. I rarely drink now too at age 26 😊 I think this was a good approach, like someone else said it wasn't 'taboo'

12 or 13 a few sips worth, 14 a small glass at events like Christmas if they wanted (they didn’t all)

There’s nothing new about doing this and while I’m not convinced it does anything to prevent drinking too much later, I certainly don’t think it makes it any worse.

On balance I’d prefer their first association with alcohol to be nice wine chosen to go with a meal, to be gently sipped while chatting with multi-generational family, rather than vodka in the park with mates

I don’t think anyone had suggested they would give other people’s children alcohol. Calm down.

I wouldn't put the venue in the position of potentially losing their licence due to underage drinking.

So only in a private home for us.

I don't have kids but I was allowed an occasional drink at a family event from about 13 - a welcome drink or a toast at a wedding, for example, or a Buck's Fizz or a Bailey's on Christmas Day, something like that.

From about 15 onwards I was allowed a glass of wine with a meal if we had guests or something. I didn't really drink with my friends at all though - none of us were bothered. My two closest friends didn't drink until they went to university (and they both found it really difficult to navigate starting to drink alcohol safely while in a new environment with new people; I personally think it would have been a lot better if they'd been more used to alcohol before then).

My nieces and nephews were allowed a small drink at family events from about 14 onwards, but weren't especially interested and would mostly turn their noses at the taste. My youngest nephew is 17 and this summer was the first time I'd ever seen him drink alcohol.

Is anyone actually suggesting that they would give someone else's child alcohol? I don't think so.

I would have allowed it from around 14 but DD wasn’t really interested.
DS is 14 and will have a sip from someone else’s glass but again he’s not really interested

My daughter went to stay with a friend for a week when she was 16 and her mum specifically phoned me to check what she was and wasn't allowed to have in regards to alcohol. I would have done the same.

I didn't allow any alcohol at all at ds's 16th birthday party (no 17th due to covid) but I admit that I didn't police what the young people drank at his 18th (there were 16-17 year olds attending).

Happened recently in our family. People do it.

Whoever is doing it pressing booze on under 16s is shit parenting.

Correction there actually, the youngest attendee had just turned 17.

Agree Come sixth from onwards they can within reason.

It’s the giggly “cool mums” and heavy drinking “you will be a man lad” types giving booze to 13 year olds that pisses me off. And yes this is due to my own recent experiences of some peoples “parenting”

Calm down! I let my 13 year old have the occasional cider.....I have never bought alcohol for her friends!!!
Most people are aware that parents have different ideas about alcohol for their children so most of us respect that and carry on with our own lives.

My in-laws had a very lax attitude to alcohol with their children - their children were often drunk at family events by the time they were 14. They let them drink anything they wanted including spirits. 2 became diagnosed alcoholics as adults. My children aren’t teens yet, but this is a question I think about a lot. I think the age restrictions are there for a reason. I think the minimum for me would be 16 after seeing the shit show my in-laws made of it.

Personally I think 14 is fine but my DH thinks 18.

So my 15 yo isn't getting to.

More and most recent research goes against the idea of introducing drink to teens early. Both from a physical and psychological viewpoint. The earlier they start, the more likely statistically to have problems later. So all the anecdata of "I had cider at 14 and I'm fine" doesn't really matter.

My DC is 16 and not interested. He's sporty and into nutrition so alcohol (and smoking/vaping) is a big no no. He admires his Coach who talks about the ill effects and i think that's done it more than anything we have said! Many of his friends are the same and kind of look down on the "crazy partying" crowd his age as being a bit sad. Definitely different from when I was at school!

We don't drink at home at all. I will have an occasional glass of wine when we are out with a nice meal but usually only one and I talk about the flavours etc so he knows I'm enjoying it for the taste, not to get drunk.

Nearly 16 and no interest in alcohol yet, yes they may change but turns their noses up currently