Recipes for mild alcohol?

[Pacific]

Anyone have any good recipes for mild alcohol drinks for teenagers?

I usually make them a wine and fruit punch, a bit like sangria but now they want WKD or Breezers which I refuse to buy them as they are too strong.

So, any ideas?

TIA

Girls tonight, hence the sweet and colourful stuff. I sometimes have boys too. They get shandy or cider. Like the idea of cidre and black.

My friend and I tackled the bacardi breezers / smirnoff ice issue by tipping out most of the bottle and drinking it ourelves and then topping it up with lemonade then pushing the lids back on.

I am not wholly comfortable with teens drinking but I know that at that age we were necking 20/20 and thunderbird in the park, so on balance I think limited exposure to alcohol in a supervised situation is the lesser of the two evils.

Well, they are all sitting in the kitchen eating pizza and nachos with their bright orange cocktails.

The conversation is fab. who fancies who, who first spoke to which boy, what subjects they are studying, bitching about teachers....... I love my teens!

DD will get out her guitar in a minute and they will all start singing and dancing!

And I would have to say, I would much rather this at my kitchen table than they were sitting in the park like I know some of their peers do.

My friend's mum gave her a tablespoon of vodka before she went off to her new school at 13. That way she could say she'd had neat vodka and, obviously, she hated it and still won't go near the stuff!

We're very open with alcohol. DD1 14 is allowed half a glass of wine with her evening meal if she wants it, and she only takes us up on it about once a month. Not at all interested in going out drinking with other teens.
DD2 8 is allowed a tiny taster of beer or wine too.

If we were having a teen pary would offer cider shandy and/or bucks fizz (made with cava). Possibly a fruit punch with a drop of vermouth to give it a kick.

OMG pattysimcox, you have just taken me back to one of the very worst hangovers I ever had on md 20/20, i was 16/17.

Annie, you are over reacting - Drinking is not always illegal under 18 and learning to do it sensibly BEFORE they're out on their own is more important now than ever!

Look at the Mumsnet list of things a 16 year old can do:

"?Drink beer or cider with a meal in a pub or hotel (but can't be the person buying it)"

In a social situation, I'd just have a quick word with other parents to say we are making a low alcohol punch, and are they ok with this. You'll find that most appreciate that there'll be some parental control over what they're drinking.

We like the small bottles of 3% pear cider - they can feel like they have a proper drink without too much worry ;)

www.parentingstrategies.net/home/

Hi ladies
Quite a debate going on here! I don't want to kick the hornet's nest, but I would urge you to have a good look at the above link, very informative. It's really a bit misleading the belief that giving kids alcohol at home prevents them drinking more later - the evidence just shows it doesn't, despite the many anecdotes. The above site is based on lots of insight and research evidence, I know it's Australian but it is very good. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation also has alot of readable short papers about their findings about alcohol and families, impact on kids etc.
We're not just talking problem drinkers either!
Btw I don't work for the above site but I do work in a field where I'm paid to know what works and what the evidence shows about alcohol, so I hope you find this helpful. I have 3 children myself and know it's a minefield, but I think it's better that we're informed and can shape our children the best way we can. This kind of info isn't always visible, whereas drinks advertising is!
The guidance from research evidence is basically that for 15 years and under - avoid alcohol altogether - it does affect young people very differently, you cannot predict how - and their brains are still developing.
16-17 years - only limited drinking with supervision. Basically, the longer your children abstain, the better. They may kick back at you, but this is one area where you're right to stick to your guns. It will impact on them.
Most of all, practice what you preach - kids learn from family what to do about drink and have their ideas by the time they're 11. They will learn from you over and above their friends, despite what we think about peer groups.

Good luck with your party, don't be afraid to be the party pooper if you have to make a decision about the drink that young people don't like. As a parent, I would like to know that the host of a party is informed and responsible if my kid was invited.
Don't forget: there are laws about being responsible for a group of under 18s who are drinking. It is your home, but with a party, they are still not your children so ensure other parents know what your plans are and have consented.

If you would like to know more about alcohol, do please contact me, I'd be happy to help.

Have a good day everyone
Simmers