Drinking with kids?!
Answers: if your kids are teens and they want to drink do you think it;s ok to let them drink if you and you wife watch them and dont let them go any where and make sure they don;t drink to much
I go back and fourth on the subject myself.
I think it is the parents responsibility to teach the child responsibility. Most of the time no matter what (and i know someone is going to argue with me on this one...) the teenager is going to experiment with alcohol either way, unfortunately with out guidance these kids take multiple shots in short periods of time to "get drunk" and then we get the alcohol poising and so on and so on...
now, if the parent is teaching the child that having a beer once in a while, not in excess, is OK, then i am fine with the fact. hell looking back to my teenage years there were a few times i could of used one. but it is these parents that allow their kids to drink to intoxication or beyond with their friends every weekend, although supervised at a house and them not leaving, is teaching the child the way of an alcoholic. and it will raise their chances of becoming one, also with no understanding restraint, which is very important.
so, if you are responsible, and your child is too, then go for it, if not, talk to them about the dangers and leave it at that.
That would strongly depend on the child. If the child and parent are properly educated and can handle the effects I see nothing improper. However, it is not your choice whether someone else's child gets to drink. If a teen is doing it in front of their parent at least they are being supervised. What happens when that same teen drinks in the basement with a bunch of friends and hides it form the adults? What happens if that teen gets in trouble? Where do they turn?
http://www.chooseresponsibility.org/
EDIT:
Sue S, it isn't against the law in many states. In fact hiding alcohol away until the age of 21 only promotes underaged abuse of alcohol.
http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/index...
EDIT 2:
rachelloveschess, where did you come up with kids become addicted more easily? The truth is that if kids are educated about alcohol use and it isn't "taboo" and hiddent they are less likely to become alcoholics or problem drinkers later in life. It also reduces incedents of drunk driving and alcohol poisoning.
If people would actually do some research and not just parrot off the media fermongering that has been perpetuated for decades... If they actually looked at the facts... They would find that NOTHING good has come from raising the drining age to 21 or prohibiting the serving of alcohol to one's own children while under supervision.
The real problems occur when the kids don't have the knowledge base that they need to make an informed and proper decision. If you just say "don't drink" and nothing else, you are practically handing your kids a bottle and the keys to the car. If you allow them to have an occasional drink with you and you talk openly about it... you are giving them the ability to know when is right and when it is wrong to drink.
Right = Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's
Wrong = Billy's basement when his parents are out to dinner.
No I don't let my teenagers drink. Number one - it is against the law and you are teaching them it's okay to break the law or "bend it" since you are there. Wrong. I just think you are sending the wrong message.
Nope, not at all.
They grow up fast enough and in today's world of instant gratification why do they need to drink with your OK, ridiculous, really. Yes, I realize most will sneak it, I sure did.
But they will spend the vast majority of their life legaly old enough to drink why push it????? Not to mention the respect they will lose for you.
If you are in America, and the child is under age, then its not okay legally, whether you supervise them or not. Whether its ethical can surely come into question too, as children and young adults addict to substances much faster and with more devastating effects than adults. I would have to say its a poor parenting choice to allow it as the risks are great, and the rewards are ... what , that your kids will think your cool ?
this question completely depends on the family. in my family, my parents let us (as older teens) drink wine with dinner, or have a drink during holiday parties (like an irish coffee or something). i think having a drink with family can be a good social experience. mostly, i think it's important to just be open with your kids, so they know they can talk with you about things like drinking. if they ever get in trouble, or into a bad situation, they should know they can count on you for help. so, like i said, it really depends on the family.
Speaking as a teenager, I can say that my friends that have had more lenient parents as far as alcohol is concerned have done better. I'm a freshman in college, and me and my friends that have had a little exposure to alcohol really don't drink that much in college because it's not such a new thing to us. However, I have a few friends that were completely sheltered as children and kept on short chains, if you will, and they have gone CRAZY with the alcohol consumption. It's gotten bad enough for me to talk to them about it and try to get them to ease up on consumption. I think it's a good idea for parents to make sure their kids are well-educated about alcohol, and supervised drinking is better than them drinking behind your back.
I completely see what everyone is saying about it being illegal and an ethical issue, but you really need to think about your kids and what you think they would do. If they REALLY want to drink, they're going to find a way to do it. I think it's safer to be drunk for the first time under parental supervision where it's a safe environment versus in a large group of friends where there is a potential for alcohol poisoning or a stupid drunken act.
dixiedarlin got it pretty much on the nose ("Out of the mouths of babes ...") - if alcohol is just another drink to your kids (as long as they know how to handle it properly, and not overindulge), the thrill of "drinking" never exists. It's the lure of the mysterious, or the desire to get away with something, that gets kids drinking, then overindulging, then living drunk for years.
I always had alcohol available at home - never really cared for it, though, until I started drinking *good* beer in my 40s, and then it was only a pint or two. There was never any urge to get drunk, or to drink myself into oblivion. I drank what tasted good, but a little of it. (Drinking to get drunk seems like eating pounds of chocolate - it tastes good, but it's not the only reason to live.)
Id rather my kids drink with me..then with other friends