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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How much alcohol for a 15 year old?

569 replies

Dramatic · 31/07/2025 20:29

If your 15 year old was going to a party (supervised by parents at the house) how much alcohol would you allow them to take with them?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Dancingsquirrels · 02/08/2025 19:11

None

I don't want to condone under age drinking or be a "cool mum"

Mossey55 · 02/08/2025 19:12

NONE

Sunaquarius · 02/08/2025 19:17

Teenagers will find a way to drink, older siblings and friends will buy it for them or they'll nick it from parents spirits cupboard.

I suppose the benefit of buying it for them is that you have control over what you give them. Spirits can be drunk too fast and lead to alcohol poisoning more easily than something with more volume, but you can easily become ill on wine or beer as well.

I just think teenagers are going to do what they're going to do.

I don't know if I'd buy them any or not but I'd warn them about drinking too quickly, drinking on an empty stomach, and what to do if you or a friend is throwing up, and regretful decision making that comes with alcohol but the biggest lessons are learned through experience and I imagine they'll toss my advice aside and try everything anyway.

3 years time they can drink as much as they like anyway.

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:22

Jhigs · 02/08/2025 18:36

We are a Muslim family so no alcohol for us

Not always the case with muslims, and your response doesn't really help the OP

Simbadaninja27 · 02/08/2025 19:22

Absolutely none

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:23

Dancingsquirrels · 02/08/2025 19:11

None

I don't want to condone under age drinking or be a "cool mum"

This isn't about trying to be a cool mum, so why point the finger at the OP?
It's about being realistic worth teenagers, and it sounds like you're kidding yourself.
Far better to be in control as a parent than be naive. Regulate it, don't close the door.

Skybluepinky · 02/08/2025 19:23

Zero, as you aren’t supervising them.

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 02/08/2025 19:25

Dramatic · 31/07/2025 20:29

If your 15 year old was going to a party (supervised by parents at the house) how much alcohol would you allow them to take with them?

My 15 year old gets 0% beers on the odd occasion and is quite happy with that

nalione · 02/08/2025 19:35

At that age id say none. However if everyone else has drink then she'll end up drinking theirs
Mix her up a punch in a large It will seem like alot but thats the idea. Only youll

Jhigs · 02/08/2025 19:35

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:22

Not always the case with muslims, and your response doesn't really help the OP

Then they are being sinful. We do not drink alcohol and we teach our children not to as well.

Lndnmummy · 02/08/2025 19:36

Dramatic · 31/07/2025 20:29

If your 15 year old was going to a party (supervised by parents at the house) how much alcohol would you allow them to take with them?

This is a joke right?

nalione · 02/08/2025 19:47

Mix her up some punch youll know how much alcohol is in it. Put it in a large water bottle to tell her dont drink from anyone else cause other people can nasty and they might spike her drink. That

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:58

Jhigs · 02/08/2025 19:35

Then they are being sinful. We do not drink alcohol and we teach our children not to as well.

It's not a sin to drink alcohol in the UK. A breach of your religious views is entirely different.
Goodness, I detest all this religious nonsense.
The imagination just amazes me.

Mjin · 02/08/2025 20:02

I have children all 40-50 now. At 15 they were all bright, thoughtful people. They wouldn’t have asked me about taking alcohol to a party, they would just have done it, and I’d have just trusted them.
Seems to me there is an awful lot of molly coddling going on here.
PS None of my children are alcoholics!

19lottie82 · 02/08/2025 20:04

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:22

Not always the case with muslims, and your response doesn't really help the OP

I think you must have misunderstood the OP. The question was “how much alcohol would you let your 15 yo take to a party?” This was answered.

ItsAllTooMuch4Lisa · 02/08/2025 20:11

Nothing
its illegal
its irresponsible
it’s dangerous
it’s a fast track to a social care referral

Jhigs · 02/08/2025 20:16

dca860 · 02/08/2025 19:58

It's not a sin to drink alcohol in the UK. A breach of your religious views is entirely different.
Goodness, I detest all this religious nonsense.
The imagination just amazes me.

I teach my children that it is a sin. I've explained all the damage it has caused and why we don't drink it. There's many good reasons

LarkspurLane · 02/08/2025 20:18

ItsAllTooMuch4Lisa · 02/08/2025 20:11

Nothing
its illegal
its irresponsible
it’s dangerous
it’s a fast track to a social care referral

The social care thing has come up a few times.
I have a 15 year old DS and parties are full of alcohol (pure luck rather than anything else that alcohol does not interest him yet) - do you really think that social services are going to be interested in that?

Sometimeswinning · 02/08/2025 20:23

I’d tell my kids not to tell me about their parties. I’d also let them know to call me at anytime and if they come home drunk we’ll move on from it.

Im not encouraging it. I think it’s stupid but all that makes me a massive hypocrite. However, I was way more savvy imo.

ItsAllTooMuch4Lisa · 02/08/2025 20:23

Given my job - social worker in child and adolescent services .yes. Especially when something goes wrong - an a&e visit, fire, police involvement or kids bragging at school and school and neighbour referrals.
yes.
my comments are correct

DurinsBane · 02/08/2025 20:32

PreciousTatas · 31/07/2025 23:59

Does that only work with alcohol?

Just wondering why alcohol is the one mythical thing you absolutely can't forbid as it will make a teenager want it more.

Not class A drugs, beastiality or necrophilia.

The ones you quoted are illegal. Alcohol is not illegal for a 15 year old to drink in a house if her parents have given permission (which the OP has)

DoNotBiteTheirHeadsOff · 02/08/2025 20:33

At 15 mine wouldn’t have been interested in booze. At 16 I’d offer them a cider or glass of fizz on a special occasion- they were never that fussed. At 17 one of them had a group of friends who drank and had a few drinks on nights out.

A few years later neither of them drink. IME their attitude to drink is largely influenced by their friends rather than anything I’ve done at home.

I would rather they tried the odd drink at home with friends or at a friends house rather than in a park or something at that age.

Dramatic · 02/08/2025 20:34

ItsAllTooMuch4Lisa · 02/08/2025 20:11

Nothing
its illegal
its irresponsible
it’s dangerous
it’s a fast track to a social care referral

Right 😂

OP posts:
dca860 · 02/08/2025 20:35

Jhigs · 02/08/2025 20:16

I teach my children that it is a sin. I've explained all the damage it has caused and why we don't drink it. There's many good reasons

Alcohol in itself doesn't cause damage. Abuse it and it's a different story.
Rather like religion really; its fine to have belief, but extremeism causes serious damage.

DurinsBane · 02/08/2025 20:37

MumWifeOther · 01/08/2025 00:24

Drinking at just turned 15 is also illegal. What the parents are doing is equally illegal. If I knew this was happening, I’d probably report it.

It’s not. With parent’s permission, in a private place, it is legal from 5 in the UK. (yes I know that is mad at 5!). OP has permission. Obviously the child cannot buy it herself until she is 18