Alcohol free

[Anon9898]

Me and my husband dont drink. Him for medical reasons me for personal. I have an additive personality and don't want to stop something I might not be able to stop.

I have some alcohol free cider for me for Christmas. My oldest child has asked for some with his Christmas meal. He's 10. Would people give him a quarter glass with his Christmas meal or just say no.

Why can’t he have a full glass? It’s basically fizzy apple. Or just buy appletize?

I'd just give him apple juice.

As per PP, it’s alcohol free so it’s basically pop. DC has a glass or two of AF fizz at xmas with relatives who don’t drink/are driving/don’t fancy another alcoholic drink, we don’t see it as a big deal.
Appletiser is also our ‘special’ AF drink of choice!

Alcohol free cider is apple juice so yes a 10 year old can have a glass. If it had alcohol it would be a strict No but this is alcohol free so perfectly fine. No idea why you think you need to ask.

It's basically just juice, he'll be fine.

It may basically be pop, but there can be a link to later issues, if he's mentally associating it with alcohol - I associated shandy as a kid with the drinking my parents and relatives were doing.
As well as many of my relatives, I battled addiction issues (not just alc) for a long time (now clean, sober and back to reality) but my associations most definitely started as a child, with those 'innocent' shandies that I mentally linked with adult drinking habits.

I remember my dad giving me a shandy when I was 10! I think if it’s 0.0% alcohol then that’s fine for a 10 year old. I wouldn’t if it was 0.5%

Just get him some appletize. I don’t feel comfortable about AF drinks for kids. It’s still associating celebration with alcohol.

I’m AF so why are you asking?

Its not alcohol, I would absolutely let him have it. I grew up in a non drinking house and had no idea about controlling my alcohol intake as a teenager.

Because @Anon9898 wants opinions from mn wider group I don't think the question was aimed just at you.

@Anon9898 , I would allow him a glass but be aware that not all AF ciders are actually zero % despite the name. Perhaps add a little soda water or lemonade
I drink Thatchers Zero when I want something lighter but its not truly 0%.

I wouldn’t. I was introduced to alcohol very young (7/8) by my alcoholic parent. I drank regularly. I don’t drink at all now, as I realised I was heading to a place where I wasn’t going to have control any more. Like OP, I also have an addictive personality.

I don’t touch AF drinks myself, as I’d “get the taste for it” and then I’d want alcohol again. That is why I wouldn’t give AF drinks to a 10 yr old, I’d worry they would like it too much, and want more.

That was meant to say ‘It’s AF so why are you asking!’ I can see it made zero sense haha! I am definitely not AF!

I wouldnt, imho it would romanticize alcohol the way chocolate cigarettes used to for cigs. 0% is still strictly an adult beverage.

Woukd you give him an herbal cigarette bevause technically theres no harm in it?

Ooh that makes much more sense 😄

I would, without a second thought, but I'm an 80s child and was given a glass of pink lady with my Christmas dinner from about 8!

It really isn't the same as a herbal cigarette

Smoke of any kind is damaging to the body, tobacco just has the added danger of being addictive as well.

That said I'd still consider AF versions to be a more adult drink and tell a 10 yr old no, they can have lemonade/appletise.

We did get Nozeco this year for my DC but they're 16 and 23! It's about the ritual of popping a cork more than the actual drink, which is meh.

Also my mum (Santa) put a bottle of 2020 in my stocking as it looked pretty when I was about 8! 😂

Why on earth bother with 'alcohol free' alcohol? Just drink something that's not associated with alcohol - things like Schloer, Elderflower drinks, posh soda/sparkling water, some of the Bottle Green or Belvoir Farm drinks?

Ridiculous to drink 'alcohol free' cider, when there are so many non-alcoholic drinks on the market these days which are probably much nicer.

Don't introduce your child to alcohol via cider, alcohol free or not.

Christ that suff was horrible! I remember trying it as a treat when I was about 11 , it's like petrol with syrup added !