Fancy a controversial thread – gave booze to my 7yo

A finger of strawberry daiquiri topped up with water and OJ. She enjoyed it.

Let the flames begin.

Bizarre.

why?

Before they do, let me state that I am on your side.

I’ve always allowed my children to partake on special occasions of diluted wine, or whatever, so that they learn to see that alcohol can be a pleasure enjoyed responsibly and maturely.

Well you know you kids better than we do. My 3 year old likes an occasional slurp of daddies naughty medicine (Beer)

I don’t see any issue.

Ooooh! How continental!

My 6 y/o had been mithering me for a taste of beer for ages, so in the end I just said “here you go, the bottle’s yours”. He had one sip, spat it out and hasn’t wanted to try it since.
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And yes, it was a Beck’s Blue n/a beer….

Non-issue I reckon. I’m quite happy for my 6 year old to have a taste of wine or beer.

All part of developing a palate and demonstrating responsible drinking I reckon.

If she starts necking it down by the bottle then we’ll have words.

I started drinking my Dad’s homebrew from the barrel, probably aged about 4.

Oddly I think my parents got more restrictive over alcohol when I was a teenager, which is probably why I spent the years 16-20 throwing up a lot.

I now brew my own beer 🙂 And doubt I could walk long before I hit the point of throwing up.

I regularly buy booze and fags for kids, so don’t see a problem myself.

Becks? No wonder he spat it out even at 6 he has better taste than you.

Well of course your 7yo enjoyed it, daiquiris are amazing.

He had one sip, spat it out and hasn’t wanted to try it since.
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And yes, it was a Beck’s Blue n/a beer….

That vile excuse for beer has the same effect on me too

No issues from me here molgrips

Eldest still reckons he had a ‘shot’ in Morzine 2 years ago, we ate in L’Etale and they always bring out a little glass of Peach Schnapps with the bill for everyone, one for me, one for my Wife and one for old 8-year-old.

He looked at the waiter, the waiter looked at him with a wink, he looked at me, then his Mum and said “really?” Then looked over at his new friend on the other table who was looking equally as perplexed… and bosh I necked most of it and refilled it from his glass of lemonade before he turned back and drank it with all the enthusiasm he showed for medicine.

He liked it too, there was almost no alcohol in it, we haven’t repeated it, but he sips my beer sometimes, but I only drink 4-5 times a year at most so it’s not regular.

The hope is that when he’s old enough to drink (or at least buy some on the sly) some of the mystique and thrill of it will be gone and he won’t come home pissed out of his mind and missing an eyebrow.

I had my first taste of beer at 18 months (slurped from an unattended glass), and my mum gave me a tiny sip of brandy if I’d been out playing in winter, and got chilled, from quite an early age. Drunk a small amount of beer/cider or wine with meals occasionally from about the age of 9 or so.

(Sent from the old worn out Windows NT computer at the alcohol dependency support charity)

It is against the law:

To give children alcohol if they are under five.

It is not illegal:

For a child aged five to 16 to drink alcohol at home or on other private premises.

From here https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/alcohol-and-the-law/the-law-on-alcohol-and-under-18s/

Fill ya boots kids!!

my dad used to let me have a small sherry or kendals royal chocolate mint liqueur on special occasions , always hard sweet stuff that would appeal to a child’s taste buds , i think the french way that i experienced later on of watered wine with meals is probably a better introduction to alcohol and more likely to produce a responsible drinker.

No flaming for the idea just puzzled by the taste.

My 5 year old has been dunking her finger into glasses of red wine, G&T, beer and champagne for a year or so.

She can now tell me which she prefers and why, and has been used as the deciding factor in a bottle of wine heading to the casserole or being drunk. She has refined tastes.

She has not ( as far as I know ) turned into an alcohol fuelled idiot, mugger of old ladies, car thief or raving bully.

She has, learned that alcohol has no mystique and that it’s just another part of life when taking in moderation.

I keep trying to feed my 6-yr-old booze in the hopes of some peace and quiet, but she’s not fallen for it yet.

learned that alcohol has no mystique and that it’s just another part of life when taking in moderation.

^This.
It is the ‘continental’ approach that we have taken with our lads – they see us drink in moderation and are welcome to try it.

Eldest still reckons he had a ‘shot’ in Morzine 2 years ago, we ate in L’Etale and they always bring out a little glass of Peach Schnapps with the bill for everyone, one for me, one for my Wife and one for old 8-year-old.

He looked at the waiter, the waiter looked at him with a wink, he looked at me, then his Mum and said “really?” Then looked over at his new friend on the other table who was looking equally as perplexed… and bosh I necked most of it and refilled it from his glass of lemonade before he turned back and drank it with all the enthusiasm he showed for medicine.

He liked it too, there was almost no alcohol in it, we haven’t repeated it, but he sips my beer sometimes, but I only drink 4-5 times a year at most so it’s not regular.

The hope is that when he’s old enough to drink (or at least buy some on the sly) some of the mystique and thrill of it will be gone and he won’t come home pissed out of his mind and missing an eyebrow.

In Samoens, a waiter served my then 14 year old brother an entire pint (or whatever measurement that big **** off glass is) of Quak.

I think the most shocking comment so far is this one:

(Sent from the old worn out Windows NT computer at the alcohol dependency support charity)

One to remember next time a “what to do with an old PC” thread pops up.

My 8 year-old has been brainwashed by school into thinking alcohol is evil and he lectures me whenever he sees me with beer, and has no interest in tasting it.

He has also been brainwashed that cycling is dangerous unless you wear a day-glo tabbard, and that he should avoid any food with fat or sugar in it.

“One to remember next time a “what to do with an old PC” thread pops up.”

Well, being serious for a moment; a friend works for a service that supports people with alcohol and drug dependency issues, and they suffer from pitiful funding (part government ‘funded’), so stuff like fairly up to date computers (for service users to look for work, accommodation etc) etc are pretty much out of the question unless donated. And then stuff gets nicked by addicts needing to fund their habits. So yeah; PCs in decent working order are a godsend for such services.

I wasn’t intending to be entirely flippant.

My 8 year-old has been brainwashed by school into thinking alcohol is evil and he lectures me whenever he sees me with beer, and has no interest in tasting it.

He has also been brainwashed that cycling is dangerous unless you wear a day-glo tabbard, and that he should avoid any food with fat or sugar in it.

Buy him “Irrationality” by Stuart Sutherland – don’t underestimate your kids, if he doesn’t read it now then by 11 I reckon he might do.

There’s a nice bit on the rationality of hedonism and the irrationality of well…the opposite.

🙂

I used to pester my Dad in the rugby and cricket club bars to let me drink the foam off of his pints.

Never did me any harm.

Hic!

Buy him “Irrationality” by Stuart Sutherland – don’t underestimate your kids, if he doesn’t read it now then by 11 I reckon he might do.

Yeah. I might read it, but I’ll leave him with James and the Giant Peach for now!

Yeah. I might read it, but I’ll leave him with James and the Giant Peach Schnapps for now!

FTFY 😉

Meh, my lad (6) has a sip of cider every now and then.
But not when he’s driving or in charge of the baby whilst me and his mum go out.
That would be terrible parenting.

DrP

(he really does have a sip though..no harm..)

Yeah. I might read it, but I’ll leave him with James and the Giant Peach for now!

In a couple of years, he’ll be ready for Tequila Mockingbird.

My 8 year-old has been brainwashed by school into thinking alcohol is evil and he lectures me whenever he sees me with beer, and has no interest in tasting it.

Well if all 8 years olds are lecturing their parents in the same way there might be a very definite public benefit – your work colleagues/friends/GP don’t see how often you drink a little and often but your kids do so well done them if they call you on it 🙂

A friend of mine has a grown up son with autism who’s currently at college and part of his college course is support of for independent living and includes lessons on what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour.

Thats led to him getting up and approaching other diners in restaurants enjoying a glass of wine with their meal and informing them very solemnly and earnestly that ‘I’m sorry sir but thats not appropriate’.

Our kids have had the occasional small amount of wine etc. Don’t see too much of a problem – certainly more “normal” than the prohibition type stance and more likely to result in normal behaviour as an adult. IME prohibition results in binge indulgence as soon as you look old enough to get away with it…

Talking of age limits though, out on a walk yesterday with teenage son and decided to pop into pub for a mid-walk beer. I was very tempted to order a shandy for my son as I remembered that was fairly normal in the early 80s… He ended up with a coke as I had no idea whether I would get served, laughed at or thrown out 🙁

Gripe water used to contain 3.6% alcohol.

I wasn’t intending to be entirely flippant.

Nor me. These threads crop up from time to time and other than handwavey “charity” suggestions no-one really has much idea beyond recycling. At work we’re regularly throwing out stuff of XP vintage at the moment, we can’t give it away.

In a couple of years, he’ll be ready for Tequila Mockingbird.

Very good. (-:

Not too sure why it needs to be announced on the internet 🙄

“At work we’re regularly throwing out stuff of XP vintage at the moment, we can’t give it away.”

One of the issues is that many small charities don’t have/can’t afford IT support, so when something goes wrong, they can’t sort it out. As well as any hardware (particularly laptops that staff/volunteers can use), smaller charities really could benefit from someone giving just a couple of hours of their time a week to help out with IT stuff, it really can make a difference. It’s no good them having loads of workstations if they don’t have anyone who can set them up etc. So if you have a couple of hours a week spare, have IT skills and want to help others, then volunteering your services could be gratefully received not to mention very rewarding.

Sorry; back to parental irresponsibility…