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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:
Overrun · 27/04/2007 13:44

Who on this thread that would not let their dcs try even a small sip, have dcs over the age of 11?

gtimama · 27/04/2007 13:53

I have a 14 yr old who since the age of 11 has been badgering me about having alcohol when we go to my friends home for BBQ's, New Years Eve etc. My friend has 4 children 3 of which are age 13/14/15 since they were 10/11/12 she has allowed them to have alcopops on these occasions. I strongly objected to my own daughter being given it, which at the time caused a great deal of embarassment. My friend still saw nothing wrong in allowing them to have it, even though I informed her that she believed they were only having 1, when in fact they were getting more from the crate in the garage. It has been quite hard to police my daughters actions when there, so we don't really go that often any more.

I have however, allowed her to have very weak white wine and lemonade on some special occasions in our own home.

I have another friend who was called one evening to collect her 14 yr old daughter from outside a parade of shops. She was drunk and disorderly and had to be rushed to A&E.

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 14:00

Ok, so the government want to ban anyone under 15 touching a drop of alcohol, bth the day they turn 18 they can stay out drinking 24 hours a day. So that will stop binge drinking drink related violence wont it? NOT.

TwirlyN · 27/04/2007 14:03

i'm still holding my vodka redbull spliff party when ds is 14.

Original poster
MamaMaiasaura · 27/04/2007 14:05

dont forget fruitshoots twirly

OP posts:
Hulababy · 27/04/2007 14:09

LOL Katz!!!

ekra · 27/04/2007 14:10

Once when DH and I were camping we witnessed a group of parents handing out Bacardi Breezers to their children - aged between 11 and 16 I'd guess - as though the children were part of the adults' party.

It wasn't just one drink or a sip or a watered down glass of wine. There are families out there who don't see anything wrong with their children getting as blindly drunk as they are and the parents are happy to provide them with the booze.

TwirlyN · 27/04/2007 14:11

i am not mixing my vodka with a fruitshoot to give to my DC. how dare you think, i might need fruitshoots at my party. besides, teenagers don't do fruitshoots.

Original poster
MamaMaiasaura · 27/04/2007 14:11
Grin
OP posts:
MrsSpoon · 27/04/2007 14:52

I do object to alcopops, afterall surely (part of) the point of allowing your children to try an alcoholic drink is that they are almost certainly not going to like it, but they are going to like alcopops.

Marne · 27/04/2007 15:03

I was given alcohol from the age of 6 (only at christmas, Bbq's and parties). Never did me any harm.

I can proudly say that i hardly ever drink and i have never been realy drunk/ill from drinking.

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 20:03

I now someone who used to give her toddler shmpagne to drink out of a miniture china tea cup. I declined when she offered my toddler the same.

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 20:04

Campagne, obviously.

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 20:04

I think (sp?)

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 20:05

Or maybe even Champagne.

colditz · 27/04/2007 20:18

On a side note, I used to fill a frootshoot bottle with vodka, slip it in my handbag, and take it into clubs with me when I was about 20. Fits perfectly.

LynetteScavo · 27/04/2007 20:24

I'm still upset you sugested I am spiteful colditz!

colditz · 27/04/2007 20:27

Lynette, I am sorry about that, I hadn't realised your post was tongue in cheek and jumped in arse first.

Sorry.

AlittleworstforwareUpsadaisy · 27/04/2007 20:28

Heck no! more for me

TwirlyN · 27/04/2007 21:53

open invite. All 12-14 yr olds, and responsible parents, a basin (for puke), some rizla, maybe bring a bottle of loopy juice(redbull, or supermarkets equivalent). I'll provide the vodka. Lets even take bets, how many years after the party before your DC touch vodka or drugs again

twinsetandpearls · 27/04/2007 21:59

I have been hung drawn and quartered mumsnet style on this topic before so am not posting

MadamePlatypus · 27/04/2007 22:34

I thought it was Alcohol Concern, not the government proposing this. We have alcohol problems in our family and the 'children are given wine in France' theory is wheeled out by those with a problem as is 'red wine is good for you'. I don't think anybody is going to be sitting outside your house trying to work out if your seven year old had a bit of champagne at Christmas. However, Alcohol is a real problem that destroys families. I think the idea would be that it would be something that could be used to make problem families take alcohol issues seriously.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 28/04/2007 08:59

Hi Zephyrcat,

Re your comment:-
"It came to light that some of these parents were buying their children bottles of cider, vodka, wine and the like to take out to the park with them on a Friday/Saturday night. You would think they'd know better".

But how it is that such parents do not?.
Why is teenage underage drinking such a particular problem in this country?. I am not saying it is not a problem elsewhere because it is. I think there are many reasons for it, its not just a lack of parental concern for these young people or lack of facilities for teens. I personally think that many of these children drink to such excess also to blot out their own miserable existances.

This is what I wrote earlier:-
"Unfortunately there are a lot of parents who try to be down with the kids and think it's all fine and jolly when their fifteen-year-old is getting pissed and dabbling in soft drugs. It would be a shame if responsible parents, who know their job is to set boundaries and sometimes make themselves looks square and unpopular, were penalised because of the behaviour of the type of arrested-development parent who wouldn't know responsibility if it kicked them up the arse".

FlossALump · 28/04/2007 09:08

I was given watered down wine from about 8. DP was not, but his parents are much bigger drinkers than mine are. I find that I have a much healthier attitude towards drinking than DP does. I will probably do the same as my parents did with my children because IME it has had a more positive outcome. Just as long as DP isn't going to have to arrest me for it mind!

SusanStoHelit · 28/04/2007 09:11

my parents always allowed me to taste anything they were drinking growing up, in fact they encouraged wine beyond a certain age.

they worked under the belief that at least this way it wouldn't be taboo and therefore more interesting and i wouldn't drink behind their backs. it worked too, the first time i had a few drinks my sefl was a t a family wedding at the age of 15 (very late to start drinking over here!) and i didn't start drinking more heavily til much later unlike all my friend who were bushing at 11/12