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Original poster

Do you give your children alcohol?

134 replies

MamaMaiasaura · 27/04/2007 10:41

here

I have given my ds watered down wine, very small amount. I have also let him sip champagne from my glass and aware his dad has let him have a sip of beer. Does anyone else do this? I know I probably risk being shot down n flames but I dont think it is particualary harmful to let him have a sip on special occasions. We drink very little here and I wouldnt let him have alcopops/spirits etc. When we on holiday in France they gave him watered down wine the the restuarant. I understand the article is probably aimed at parents to give their kids full strength drinks and alcopops but wondered if anyone else has allowed their dc to have a little bit of wine?

OP posts:
lazycat · 27/04/2007 10:56

I got given little sips of wine and watered down drinks when I was quite young - it did me no harm whatsoever. Perhaps it even made me a more sensible drinker than I would have been otherwise!

MaloryTowers · 27/04/2007 10:58

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Ladymuck · 27/04/2007 11:00

Mine are still quite little (6 and 4) so no, though I have offered ds2 the chance to try a small taste of some drinks if he is very curious - usually the smell puts him off.

Would be very unhappy if a nanny state ban came into force though. I would rather have my 14yo learning to drink at home under my supervision than simply going out and gettign smashed.

That said ds2 did find a glass of Pimms last summer and promptly finished it off (watching the speed that it vanished through the straw was quite alarming!). I've had to keep an eye on any Pimms since then.

JodieG1 · 27/04/2007 11:02

We don't give ours alcohol and don't intend to for a long time, dd 5.2, ds1 3.6 and ds2 15 weeks. I was never allowed alcohol at home and that was for the best imo, it never made me go on binges any more than the next person.

Looking at the link the amount of 11-13 year olds drinking is disgusting and I wonder why they do drink that much. No way I'm encouraging that by allowing them to drink at home. Soft drinks all the way until they're older. I think at least 15 if not older before they're allowed anything.

MaloryTowers · 27/04/2007 11:03

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JodieG1 · 27/04/2007 11:04

I think that's more to do with personailty that whether you're allowed to drink at home or not.

JodieG1 · 27/04/2007 11:05

personality

Cloudhopper · 27/04/2007 11:06

No, but they are only 1yo and 3yo.

I think they are onto something, but is it a case of "parents who take any notice of the law aren't the ones you are concerned about anyway"?

MaloryTowers · 27/04/2007 11:06

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Fillyjonk · 27/04/2007 11:08

um well of course

how else would i get them to sleep?

let alone MN.

redsky · 27/04/2007 11:10

we've let our children have sips of wine or beer occasionally just to satisfy their curiosity. They usually balk at the smell alone. Dd (14) sometimes now enjoys a 'taste' of a particularly sweet wine. She had an alco-pop at new year - I think they are more worrying. She says she 'loves' alco-pops which scares me and makes me want to avoid situations where she would have access.

themoon66 · 27/04/2007 11:10

I was under the impression that you can drink in your own home from age 14 or something? And 16 in a restaurant with food.

DS is 15 and has never drunk. I've offered him a lager shandy when I've had a can open, but he hates the smell of beer. Same with wine and spirits... he takes one sniff and says 'urgh'.

DD is a student and lives away from home... I imagine she gets rat-arsed on cheap student nights in the clubs and pubs these days. But, she never drank at home... maybe a shandy when she was about 17.

Hulababy · 27/04/2007 11:10

5yo has had tastes of wine and champagne at home. On my birthday she had a very small of Bucks Fizz (about half champagne; half orange).

We try to bring DD seeing alcohol, esp wine drinking, as being something normal to do in moderation.

I don't think this will create any problems in the future. It certainly hasn't in either Dh or myself.

Ladymuck · 27/04/2007 11:11

Currently you can give alcohol to children at home from the age of 5.

Hulababy · 27/04/2007 11:11

I think the law says okay from age 5 in your own home, and 14 when out having a meal.

Tigana · 27/04/2007 11:11

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SmileysPeoples · 27/04/2007 11:13

Yes. DS1(6yrs) loves beer and always has a sip of DH's, and at a special meal we give him his own wine glass with a splash of wine in.

Stigaloid · 27/04/2007 11:14

I don't think parents should be prosecuted - stores should. I went into a corner shop recently where underage kids were buying booze. When they left the shop keeper rolled his eyes and said 'they're off to get drunk in the park (across the road) again', to which i thought 'well they wouldn't be if you weren't selling them beer!' Grrrrr!

Porcupine · 27/04/2007 11:14

i htink this " lets do it liek the french do" cliched arument balies the hUGE alcoholism prblems they g haev in france nad hte HUGE issue wiht drink driving - amostt eh highest death rate in europe

Porcupine · 27/04/2007 11:15

do you give yoour kdis puffs of your fags too?

JodieG1 · 27/04/2007 11:16

I think a half champagne half orange bucks fizz for a 5 year old is a lot! I can have one like that and feel tipsy so imainge a tiny 5 year old! Dh was allowed to drink by his parents the same as some on here but he was awful, stayed out nights, drank a lot as a teen and basically a little sh**.

Porcupine · 27/04/2007 11:16

id agree
i dont givethe kdis alcohol
they have to get a fake id and suffer like we did

MaloryTowers · 27/04/2007 11:17

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Porcupine · 27/04/2007 11:17

and a puff too?

Hulababy · 27/04/2007 11:18

JodieG - it was a shot class, so about one mouthful of champagne! She was in no way tipsy, believe me!

I wouldn't give tastes of cigarettes as there is no known safe limit for nicotine, unlike alcohol.