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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

teens that don't drink

38 replies

2shoescreepingthroughblood · 30/10/2010 23:41

Am I the only parent whose 18 yr old really(and I mean really) has no interest in drink?
he has always known that if he wants to have a drink it is no biggie, if me and dh are having a drink and ds is in the room , I ask him if he wants one, but he doesn't ant to drink.
he is a normal teen, he has mates who drink, his GF has (good taste in drink) a drink, but he has no interest.
so come on am I alone???

OP posts:
PrettyCandles · 02/11/2010 19:39

My brother and I were that sort of teenagers.

I think I was 19 the first time I got drunk, and I was thoroughly ashamed of myself for doing so.

I didn't drink at uni, learned to enjoy it after, but have never been a drinker.

Alcohol was freely available at home when we were children. If there was wine at meals then we were offered and had some if we wanted. I have never seen my parents or any of their friends drunk. So I guess it was the good example and openess that kept us straight.

OTOH My little sister drank and probably did things that I still don't really want to know about.

LelloLorry · 02/11/2010 19:43

DD1 (17) doesn't drink, however DD2 (12) has recently started having alcopops at her friends houses after school, which is v. worrying, since I have an awful feeling she'll be binge drinking by the time she's 16.
Can't do a whole lot when I don't get home from work 'till 6.

mumeeee · 03/11/2010 12:33

You could have a word with your 12 year olds friends parents.They should not let a 12 year old drink alcopops as they can be very addictive, They taste like juice so a young person could easily drink a lot of them.

ceilidhknco · 08/11/2010 21:02

I'm still in my teens and most of my friends have been completely out of it with drink, have smoked or are smokers or have taken drugs. I have actually never done any of these things and don't really have any interest in doing so. So I guess I'm a bit sad but I have more fun without itGrin Would count yourself lucky, we're a lovely bunch really :)

mumzienut · 09/11/2010 13:32

My DD also doesn't drink and she's 17. Part of me thinks she's waitin until she's 18 (early 2011) as was saying how irritating New Year's Eve will be this year since most of her friends have already turned 18 and she'll have to watch them fallin over and laughin at rubbish...

TBH I think she's seen quite a few of her friends who started drinkin at 13, get themselves involved in really dangerous behaviour that she simply doesn't see the point. She's tasted it, as I've let her sip mine at meals, and says she doesn't like it. ....I didn't start drinkin till I was 17, and don't drink that often, but that's simply because my other kids make me too knackered! DH however can drink for his country. And often does :)

alemci · 09/11/2010 18:07

my teenage daughters don't drink. I don't mind if they have the odd glass of wine at a meal at home if we are or at relatives but they are not bothered about it which is good.

epicfail · 13/11/2010 10:59

My 15yo DD has friends who have begun to drink. DD thinks it is all a bit pointless and ridiculous. She prefers going to what she calls real parties - like a recent Cowboy/Western dress up Birthday Party (fully supervised, all girls, party food, party games, definitely no alcohol).

LelloLorry, where I live it is illegal to supply alcohol to a minor, your DD12's friend's parents would be in deep doodoo.

Gooftroop · 13/11/2010 17:43

He is much too tight with his money to drink much anyway. Grin

So true, DS and DD don't drink. It's for all the reasons mentioned above but above all because they're too stingy! They take after their parents.

bruffin · 13/11/2010 21:21

In the uk it is not illegal for a child to drink in the home or a friends home.

epicfail · 13/11/2010 23:09

The law here - this is farly recent legislation and has had quite an impact on parents' attitudes to partys. Having to have the permission of every parent could be quite an exercise - and without it the person dishing out the alcohol could face 12 months in jail. Our School newsletter publishes this information on a regular basis, more frequently as the end of our school year approaches.

Doesn't deter teenagers from having un-supervised parties of course.

gingeroots · 14/11/2010 12:21

Just to say that OP you are not alone .
I have an 18 DS who doesn't drink ,doesn't even like fizzy drinks .
Know I should be glad ...but he's not very mature and although I've warned him about alco pops ,I'm scared he's going to mess up big time if/when he flies the nest !

BertieBotts · 15/11/2010 02:19

My sister is 19 and doesn't drink :) She's quite shy and doesn't like the thought of being out of control of her own actions so the idead of getting drunk doesn't really appeal to her.

We may be similar in many ways but in this, we are total opposites Grin

thenightsky · 15/11/2010 13:26

DS is 19 and doesn't drink at all. Even now he is at uni.

Sometimes I persuade him to have a sip of wine or lager. He does, just to please me I think, but always says.... 'yeah, still tastes like medicine'.

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