Should 7 and 9 years old be given non alcoholic beer

[roseonshore]

My ex husband has been giving our sons who are 7 and 9 non alcoholic beer. He sees nothing wrong with this and does not take my opinion into account but I am very worried about the negative effects this could have on the boys? I would love some opinions on this matter

Alcohol free beer DOES NOT CONTAIN ALCOHOL IN ANY MEASURABLE AMOUNT ... its the same as orange juice. The label is a legal requirement as it's made using beer.

The only issue here is whether it's a good idea from the standpoint of making drinking lots of beer seem safe/ok to kids.
I don't think it is at all.

But a teetotal adult could drink it guilt free.

I wouldn't give it to children for the same reason I wouldn't drink it for breakfast

I let DD have a white wine spritzer (not much wine .. lots of spritz) when we went for meal from 11 years onwards. We do not drink alcohol at home and explained to her what too much alcohol could do. When she got to 14/15 I would allow her one alcopop when at family parties. At 16, when some of her friends were getting drunk in the park, she did not have the same need to experiment.

In contrast, my nephew, a couple of months younger than DD, was not allowed alcohol at all and at his first party aged 16 got so drunk he had to have his stomach pumped.

Definatley no way is it ok to give this to children aged 7 & 9, they are still babies. My concern would be how this would influence their attitude to alcohol at such a young and impressionable age. It is giving them the message that it is ok to drink beer. They are too young to be mimicking drinking alcohol, it shouldn't even be a thought that enters their mind.
As someone else said it's along the same line as giving a child a candy cigarette.

We used to have candy cigarettes snd seeet tobacco when we were growing up and didnt end up smoking. Also had shandy from quite young and i hardly drinl.As i said above my dc were introduced to alcohol on a gradual basis and at 17 and 19 have a very good attitude to drinking.

I think 7 and 9 is too young and inappropriate, my answer might be different if they were 13 and 15.

I think mamanofthree has it spot on about example. I remember being totally uninterested in alcohol and then at aged 12 my parents had a BBQ and everyone got drunk, and had a whole load of fun in front of me. It was that which got me into drinking as a teenager - they just had such fun that day. I will be very careful not to get drunk in front of my DC, and to drink responsibly (1-2 drinks with a meal) as an example.