How much/often does your 16 year old drink alcohol?

[Bagamoyo1]

DS turned 16 in August, and over the summer started having the occasional beer with friends while watching the football. I’ve noticed a lot of his friends are drinking regularly now, and every weekend there seems to be some event that involves alcohol. It seems too much too often to me - even if they’re not getting wasted, surely at this age it should only be an occasional thing? So I’m curious what others do. Thanks.

I definitely think drinking is less fashionable/common than it was, but of the non-drinkers, some will be smoking weed I think. My eldest was (occasionally) at that age. My youngest has the odd drink at a gathering but doesn't like the taste of alcohol and is really not keen on the idea of being 'out of it' and/or being stuck with other drunk people.

16yo DD has had the odd glass of wine/champagne at family functions but she doesn't drink with her friends at the moment. It just isn't something that they seem to feel the need to do.

Her friends are mostly quite stable and high energy though, so they seem to be more than capable of having fun without getting hammered. Rightly or wrongly, dd's perception is that the ones who tend to drink at this age are often the ones who struggle with social anxiety, low mood etc. Maybe it's harder for those kids to just relax and have fun without the alcohol to help?

A couple of pints on a Saturday after football, I suspect.

Think the older blokes are buying him a pint in the clubhouse and I don't think they think 'underage'. He's 17.

I can't get overly stirred up about it. I'd prefer him not to drink...and then I remember how my entire social life at this age revolved around drinking in the pub.

I have 3 dc. All have experimented with alcohol to various degrees. Dd1 is 21 and ds is 19, they both drink at parties/nights out but not much in the house, ds will have a couple of beers with dh or mates watching the football, dd1 enjoys a glass of my Sauvignon Blanc when she comes round. She did drink a fair bit more when she worked in a bar, it does go with the territory. I'm quite glad she's given that up to focus on uni this year.

Dd2 is 17, nearly 18. She's planning a night out with her siblings on her birthday, after a meal with us and some of her grandparents, but has already asked me to have a word with dd1 about not forcing too much drink on her! She has a few wee premixed cocktail cans in the fridge and she drinks maybe 1-3 a week (they're 5%) but doesn't like beer or wine much. She'd have a fruity cider on occasion.

My ds - 17 - def drinks at parties, but he’s fairly sensible. There’s always at least one kid who pukes as well.

Rarely
Odd half glass wine with us if special occasion.
They not that bothered with alcohol thank goodness

My teens arent intersted in booze.

It's seen as a millennial thing (ie old people!!)

DS16 had a cider at a field party, a couple at a supervised friends festival and a couple at a friend's football night. That was all in the summer hols.

We took some on holiday but they came home with us and are still in the fridge 3 months later.

He can take it or leave it tbh. Has a laugh regaling stories of others who puke and knows people who always go too far.

He and his immediate friendship group are quite sporty so that may have a bearing.

We've never stopped him so it's not forbidden and we give him the responsibility to make his own choices. He will cock up one day but at the moment he seems to regulate himself. Same as X-box etc.

My DD is the same age and not interested in alcohol- she will have a glass of Prosecco on Christmas Day, and she had a glass on GCSE results day. She doesn't tend to go to parties like DS did - I know he drank at parties at16, but not to excess.

Ds is 16 and drinks Friday and Saturday evenings. Every week or two.

DD is 17 and has no interest in alcohol or parties. She's the complete opposite of me at her age!

She doesn’t and neither does her BF.
I would have an issue if she did occasionally but she isn’t interested in the slightest