Hellobee Boards

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

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.

Maybe around high school?

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.

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.

@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.

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.

@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!

@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.

@ladyfingers: That's a good point. Especially with how some parents are nowadays!

@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!

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!

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.