https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:39:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387960 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:17:17 +0000 nana87 387960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember when exactly I had my first sip, but I must have been very young--I remember taking a sip at synagogue after a blessing over wine (part of a Jewish religious service) and thinking it was horrible!</p> <p>I was given my first glass of wine (a very small one) at my dad's 50th bday dinner, when I was 14. from then on during special occasions I often got my own small glass. I definitely think it helped me associate drinking with family meals--although I'll often have a drink with dinner or socially, I rarely drank to excess, even in high school or college. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387909 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:02:59 +0000 pinkcupcake 387909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think I'd have a problem w/letting L have a sip of my wine when she's in middle school! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387897 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:58:39 +0000 Freckles 387897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: That's a good point. Especially with how some parents are nowadays! </p> <p>@mrbee: I'll probably allow a sip or so when they're 13...but i'm determined to have ongoing talks with my kids about being a responsible drinker. The drinking age is 18/19 here, and it's crazy that it's 21 in the US...by which time you're finished college! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387892 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:57:47 +0000 mrbee 387892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: Haha yah, the lies are starting to pile up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387889 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:56:18 +0000 ladyfingers 387889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: LOL good one! Or you could just tell Charlie and Olive that it's called apple juice... wait, maybe that would screw them up anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387882 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:55:02 +0000 mrbee 387882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: Ok I've come up with my cover story... if our kids say anything, I'll just tell CPS that it's only apple juice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387869 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:51:49 +0000 ladyfingers 387869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with it and I don't think that's a reason why anybody here shouldn't do what they think is best. I'm just a naturally paranoid person! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387867 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:50:51 +0000 mrbee 387867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: Ah good point... this ain't France! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387856 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:48:47 +0000 ladyfingers 387856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I read the post, it was a good one. But it's just not going to happen. I don't have a moral problem with alcohol. It's just... complicated. :)</p> <p>Even if I did drink, I'd be worried that somehow somebody would find out and I'd get in trouble. I mean all he has to do is blab to one person at school about how mommy gives him wine lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387840 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:45:57 +0000 prettylizy 387840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she is old enough to ask she can taste it (wine or beer, no hard liquor though). I loved @mrbee's blog post, and I truly think that we need to reprogramm the mentality around alcohol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387815 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:41:03 +0000 mrbee 387815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: Yah I didn't plan on that either, but check out the quotes from my blog post...</p> <p>There was an interesting case made by the author of that book that it's better to get your kids to make an emotional imprint on the taste of alcohol as when they're younger! So that they view wine/beer/alcohol as a complement to food, rather than just a way to get drunk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387783 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:35:58 +0000 ladyfingers 387783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't drink at all, and DH doesn't really have beer or anything around, mostly out of respect for me. Even if I did drink, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving my children alcohol before they were 21. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387200 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:55:13 +0000 mrbee 387200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meredithNYC: yah, drinking to get wasted is the dominant approach in America, alas! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387187 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:52:54 +0000 Arden 387187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've made the decision not to drink alcohol in our home at all, because DH's family has a history of addiction. We just thought it would be better to not go down that path.<br /> That said, we do have several types of alcohol in the house I use for cooking. I would teach my kids that alcohol is something to be approached with respect and care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387088 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:34:28 +0000 meredithNYC 387088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure, really. With my own parents it was 18, though I had my first drink a few months before my 18th birthday. My husband, on the other hand, is English. So while his mom doesn't drink at all and would certainly never allow it before he was 18, he was going to the pub at about 15 or so. </p> <p>I guess it largely depends on the temperament/personality of my kids and how mature they are. For what it's worth, all of my college friends would drink to get wasted, myself included, even though we came from a wide range of families with very different experiences regarding permissiveness about alcohol. So I suppose it's good to try and teach your kids to be responsible, but it won't necessarily cancel out their desire to get drunk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387056 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:28:28 +0000 DpeachLu 387056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe tiny sips before high school at some point<br /> and longer sips during high school. </p> <p>DH and I mostly only drink beer.. and they usually have high ABV.</p> <p>Its going to be hard but I certainly dont want it to be a no-no. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387036 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:24:25 +0000 autumnlove 387036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe around high school? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-387012 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:18:19 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 387012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no idea! When my DH was a teen my MIL would put beer in the freezer while the kids did chores in the yard. When they came inside they got to drink the beer as a treat. That seems reasonable to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-386950 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:03:43 +0000 Mrs. Pen 386950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents always let me have sips starting when I was young, and I never had the urge to go get drunk in HS or college... maybe it did work ;)</p> <p>I will let my kids have sips here and there between 10-12 I think. But obviously let them know it's something we only do at our house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-will-your-child-be-before-you-let-them-drink-sips-of-beer-wine-or-champagne#post-386942 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:02:19 +0000 mrbee 386942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I probably wouldn't have thought to even offer this, until I did research for this post:<br /> <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/11/05/teaching-our-kids-to-have-a-healthy-relationship-with-food-and-alcohol/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/11/05/teaching-our-kids-to-have-a-healthy-relationship-with-food-and-alcohol/</a></p> <p>Now maybe we'll let the kids have small sips of champagne on New Year's (or with a nice dinner) when they're 9 or 10 or something. Just to teach them that you can enjoy alcohol with food, instead of just using it to get bombed in college!</p> <p>How old will your child be before you let them drink sips of beer, wine or champagne? </p>