How much alcohol for a 15 year old?

[Dramatic]

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?

Agree with this. Better that they have tried alcohol at home first if they are planning to drink with friends and I would rather send them off with a low percentage drink of their own. Amongst DS’s friends the alcohol at parties started after GCSEs, although I understand most of them had drunk alcohol with their families before this. DS didn’t show any interest until this time.

It Is the peer pressure and the culturally accepted idea that being very drunk is socially acceptable across board in terms of age groups. Although I did read that Gen Z tends to avoid public drunkenness, so things are shifting a bit. Who knows?

The divide between teens/young adults wanting to drink and not wishing to drink as not interested is widening.

One of my former colleagues is 24 and only drinks on special occasions - birthdays, holidays etc. Then that's only two drinks max.

None, they're 15.

You know that buying alcohol for a 15 year old is a crime, right?

People saying they would rather give them the alcohol to control what they drink are delusional. As soon as they leave your house with the alcohol you have lost control.

DS is year 10. The "cool" kids have parties involving alcohol - and parents end up finding bottles of vodka in the garden the next morning, which have all been smuggled in, despite instructions to the contrary. So it's going to happen regardless of whether you condone it. In which case, I'd suggest something relatively weak that your child is happy to drink, so that they don't end up on the vodka. Although one parent found the kids drank the alcohol free beer she'd left in the fridge (presumably unwittingly!) so that might be another option if they want to look like they're joining in.

Interestingly, DS has zero interest and is quite scathing of those that indulge. And we've offered him beer/wine at home - he refuses. I don't think our parenting is any different to that of our parent friends whose children do drink - it's just indicative of the different friendship groups the children fall into.

And my MIL was a 'no child of mine shall ever have a drop of alcohol pass their lips until they are living independently in a house they have bought with their own money'.

Didn't stop the eldest becoming a heroin addict by 14 and alcoholic by 34 (might have been earlier, seeing as he was on Tennants Extra and White Lightning by 15, but the heroin kind of overshadowed the alcohol until he was first admitted to hospital and went into alcohol withdrawal as well). Or the next one down having a nifty little vodka and cocaine habit by 15. Plus a fairly lucrative trading arrangement with the other girls at her rather posh school.

Minimising harm in the OP's case is 4 bottles of something they can drink without relying upon somebody else to mix something and disguise just how much vodka is in it. And telling them whatever they do, stay clear of Anything-and-black(currant).

People need to know what their limits are. If feeling tipsy, switch to non alcoholic drinks for the rest of the day.

Zero. I would also be questioning why another parent is hosting a party in which 15 years are expected to bring alcohol. I realise that teens drink, but I’m not going to be condoning it by providing.

Unless there is clear evidence in the shop - ie teen giving adult money to buy alcohol. Nobody is going to know who is drinking that alcohol purchased.

16yo was the rule for alcohol in our house. No alcohol before that. Once 16yo they could have a can or two, glass of fizz Xmas or special occasions etc. If they were going to a party where alcohol would be once 16yo I dropped and collected, bought a few light cans.
Ive 3 sons and never seen them passed out/vomiting over a toilet bowl. I’m not naive enough to think they never have, but I’ve never seen them or any evidence of the above
15yo is a bit young. I mean, no one NEEDS alcohol, but it is part of our culture/society to drink.

About 4 units...

Depends on the arrangement with hosting parents but not a bottle of vodka to contribute with the other kids to a horrendous punch, that will end in disaster I know from experience with my own daughter! lots of the premixed drinks you can buy In a can actually have very little alcohol in them and I would allow her to take two.

From experience don’t forbid the alcohol but explain to her about not making silly mixtures with friends all “adding a bit of what they scavenged from home” it’s a recipe for alcohol poisoning. Help them find a grown up looking weak drink!

You’re asking the wrong place here! People on MN drink a thimble of Sherry at Christmas.

Zero. By that age they should be doing real drugs.

I am kidding. Probably 4 beers. When I was that age my mum and dad just used to say “nothing over 5%” and let us pick, get us a 4 pack. Obviously we were drinking way more at the party, but they didn’t know.

That's not the point.

Crate of Stella,
Bottle of Sambuca
Bottle of Absinthe
Box of jelly shots

or

my preference would be none

Depends. Year 10. Nothing. Year 11, with people I knew, 2 cans of something weak. And then a shed load of Doritos etc.

I am not looking forward to that stage!

It’s also legal for a child to drink at home or in a restaurant with a meal. So alcohol being purchased for those under 18.

None (obviously) 🤨

Eugh Stella. That I did have too much of as a teen. Never touched it since nasty stuff.

None. Fifteen is way to young.

None!

None.
I have a nearly 15yr old and I wouldn't send him to someone's house with alcohol. I do allow him a few beers with us on holiday, but that supervised with a meal. Alcohol doesn't really seem to on the radar much for his friendship group yet which I'm thankful for -as I did some really stupid stuff at 14--.

I might let DC have a small beer or glass of wine at Christmas. Otherwise any drinking they do is not approved and I would not help them get alcohol to take to a party