Kids and drinking

[funnybones82]

Not one to judge other people's parenting but I've just seen a friend of a friend post a holiday photo with the caption 'a couple of beers with this one tonight at the beach' and a photo of their son with a can of lager. The kid has just turned 12. They often post photos of family barbecues and he regularly has an alcopop or cider in his hand.

I'm not strict and may allow my 13 year old to have a drink with us on a special occasion if he expressed a desire to. But it would only be one and it wouldn't be a regular occurrence. As it happens he never has expressed any interest so it hasn't happened.

I understand that it's better to do it in a controlled environment than ban something totally and make it forbidden fruit territory. But even so, is 12 not a little young to be regularly drinking alcohol with your parents?

But even so, is 12 not a little young to be regularly drinking alcohol with your parents?

12 is way too young; they're grooming an alcoholic.

I was at a BBQ once and a mother was giving her 8 year old some drink that was 5% I pointed it out so she gave her more. I wouldn't bother saying anything.

A friend of DH’s has been allowing their kid to drink spirits from age 11. Can’t get my head around it. Especially as they’re super health conscious in other ways.

DH drank from an early age and has absolutely no off switch when it comes to booze so I won’t be rushing our own DC to try it.

My parents have given me alcohol in very small quantities since a toddler. There’s a photo of me aged 2.5 in my highchair drinking wine from a liquor glass.

Because of my introduction to alcohol as a toddler, i appreciate alcohol more and know when to stop.

Then you get teens who never given a drink alcohol at home. Get an older sibling or friends’ elder siblings to buy nasty alcohol and no idea when to stop.

Nah this normalises drinking.
We allowed ds to have a bit of a drink on foreign holidays as a treat (and not every night, just occasionally) from about 15, and he had a bucks fizz on Xmas Day but aged 12 just down the beach?
Think Coca Cola at 12 was a treat for my ds !

Yeah I don’t like it. My Dad used to buy me beer at that age and looking back thinking about it makes me feel really sick. He had an alcohol problem of his own. We spend a lot of time with our friends’ 13 yo DD and I really cannot imagine her drinking.

I have two sons aged 16 and 19 . They have been drinking shandy occasionally for about 3 year's. My eldest doesn't like alcohol at all so will have fruit juice or non alcoholic drink.

It’s a complete myth that introducing alcohol at a young age teaches them responsible drinking. 12 year olds definitely do not need alcohol.

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/19/letting-children-try-alcohol-at-home-wont-deter-binge-drinking-say-uk-experts

This sounds sensible, but there's actually no evidence for it at all.

Way too young IMO. Poisoning a young and still developing body. No.

my youngest is 15 and when we meet up with wider family his cousins the same age drink. Mine isn’t allowed and he doesn’t go out and drink either. At 16/17 I’d allow a beer or 2 if he wanted.

Based on my friends’ experience with alcohol, those who were introduced to it young were less likely to become best friends with a toilet the day after.

I remember drinking beer at friends’ houses aged 14/15.

I was horrified when my neighbour's DS brought out some non-alcoholic shandy for my DS. I happened to pass her on my way home as she was taking her DS out of our garden and she was all "oh, don't worry, it's non alcoholic" with a massive grin. All I was thinking was "why are you encouraging your 7 year old to drink beer of any kind?" I really don't see the need.
Our DC (12 & 14) are allowed a sip if they ask but it's never offered and they both pull faces and ask how we can drink such awful stuff!

oh my, 12 is young, as is 13. I will never understand this.

It's nuts.

I was a latecomer to alcohol and didn’t get drunk until I was 19. I credit this for my being able to enjoy alcohol in my 20s and not just get shitfaced every time I drank.

12 is too young.

12 is far too young, and it's a complete myth that it has any effect on teenagers drinking habits as they grow up.
I'm sure we could all provide 'evidence' of children who weren't given alcohol as children and who never went on to binge drink.