To not want my kids to drink mocktails or AF beer?

[Thesenderofthiscard]

On holiday with grp of friends - oldest kids are 13, youngest 8.
the 5 teens have been asking for ‘mocktails’ when we’re out at cafes/ restaurants- Virgin bloody Mary’s, Virgin mojitos - and now the little one want them too.

I’m REALLY uncomfortable with this- Have said no to my teen so now I’m the worst parent in the world. I’m not happy with the normalising of drinking = fun or being ‘grown up’ at this age.
ine of the dad’s told me in need to get real, and for an AF beer for his 13 old son.
I ask him if he’d let his son have a ‘fake’ vale or cigarette and all he’ll broke lose.

oh, and not to mention these drinks are €8/10 a pop as they’re meant for no- drinking adults

YABU - lighten up! Let them feel like grown ups

YANBU - They’re too young to be pretending to drink.

i used to be allowed a babycham or snowball at christmas-i dont even really like alcohol now -it wont affect them if they want to drink when theyre older or not

i also had shirley temples

Exactly this!

Why call them mocktails if they’re not designed to imitate the real thing.

Just have fun drinks for kids.

The chocolate cigarettes were banned because they were the imitation of the real thing, so how is this any different.

I had one (or two?) birthday parties with a small mock tail bar (all fairly simply, but it felt fancy and exciting) as a young teen.

I remember having so much fun with it! And it honestly didn’t make me want to drink the “real thing”. They were simply delicious, sugary (okay, unhealthy!) drinks with fun straws, paper hats etc.

so yes, you are being a bit unreasonable imo.

but they are fairly expensive. If price is an issue then yes, yanbu.
and they should probably remain a rare treat, considering the sugar content.

last but not least: you’re probably making mocktails much more exciting with your behaviour. Now they’re forbidden / dangerous.

The chocolate cigarettes were banned because they were the imitation of the real thing, so how is this any different.

I don't think candy/chocolate cigarettes should have been banned tbh - they're no different to any other sweets.

‘Now they’re forbidden / dangerous.’

oh no! What if they go mad drinking fizzy water and lime juice when they’re older, whatever shallwe do?????

‘I don't think candy/chocolate cigarettes should have been banned tbh - they're no different to any other sweets.’

yeah, it was always dead classy seeing kids pretend smoke …

They're kids. It's not their job to be classy

your response seems to imply that you’re not worried whatsoever about these mocktails. Which does seem to be a bit contradictory, considering your previous comments….

anyhow, I wasn’t necessarily talking about later. I was talking about the current situation.

they wanted a mocktail / fancy soft drink. You said no.
that won’t make the average teen/pre-teen stop wanting it. I would rather suspect that it might increase their desire for these fizzy drinks.

I mean, kids copy what they see around them.

Or do you genuinely think that candy sweets or fruit juice drinks lead to an adulthood of cigarettes and alcohol?

‘your response seems to imply that you’re not worried whatsoever about these mocktails. ‘

at 13, i don’t like them pretending to drink Margaritas. At 18 they can fill their boots with mocktails and AF drinks!
big difference.

I used to have sweet or chocolate cigarettes and I've never smoked. I didn't get them for my own daughter but she used to pretend to smoke with a biro because she had seen other adults do it. She has never smoked either.

I would put mocktails in three categories. Made up fruit juice mocktails (sunset boulevard with strawberry and orangejuice), virgin versions of real mocktails (virgin mojito with lime, lemon, sugar and soda water) and alcohol free mochtails (mojito with alcohol free rum).

I'm not sure I'm totally comfortable with kids having cathegory 3 and ordering a GT that has alcohol free gin and tonic. I enjoy these but the purpose is totally replacing alcohol. Same with alcohol free beer etc.

Category 2 is borderline cause it is totally meant to imitate an alcoholic version. Category 1 is fine with me but I can totally understand why someone is not cool with it.

The AF beer is weird to me, but I love a good mocktail daiquiri

So you clearly don't think you're being unreasonable in the slightest - why make the post then?

YANBU due to the cost of it.

Kids can still pretend they're drinking a cocktail with a glass of water and a fancy straw, or Ribena in wine glass.

Do you ban that too?

To feel superior and tell us lesser mortals how we're paving the way for our kids to become alcoholics via overpriced fruit juice?

‘Kids can still pretend they're drinking a cocktail with a glass of water and a fancy straw, or Ribena in wine glass.’

Well, the 13 year olds we’re on holiday with haven’t been doing that. Perhaps they think it’s childish?

Well I let my 7 and 5 year olds have virgin pina coladas (coconut and pineapple juice with ice) on holiday last year it didn’t even occur to me this was in any way problematic! They haven’t asked for them since, it was just a fun holiday juice. I think what was worse when I was young were all the alcopops aimed at teenagers.

At 18 it's highly likely they will be drinking the real stuff. Do you honestly think not allowing a mocktail now (even though you said hours ago you would) will lead to mocktails over cocktails at 18?

What are you drinking OP?

I am bit surprised that a pub serves AF beer to a young teen.
I buy them sometimes in supermarkets and always require my age verified.

I think that everyone right down to the age of 8 having a beer does normalise alcohol. This might have no effect on some children and a lasting effect on others.
I have no problem with mocktails - although prefer fruity names like raspberry fizz than things like virgin colada or virgin pornstar martini.

Yabu, its soft drink. Mine drank them from around 12 on holiday/special occasions. Both as adults have a healthy relationship with alcohol, one still chooses mocktails!

Well, let’s take baby dolls and toy prams away from them then too. Not classy seeing little toddlers emulate being teenage parents.

Oh and toy cars. Let’s not encourage them to get behind the wheel before the legal age.

Oh and kitchens - in case they develop a fascination with turning the hob on when your back’s turned.