Letting your child try a little alcohol

Not starting or a debate or want to hear lectures. Just a question.
I've never given my boys a taste of our drinks and we are pretty frequent drinkers. They never asked or are interested. They know alcohol drinks are for adults.
Anyway, we go out with some friends a lot and when we go out there's drinking involved.

One of the girls asked to try the mom's drink and she let her have a sip of wine. I don't see any problem with that at all, but figured I'd ask other parents. Also, we had a frozen drink on a cruise and she let the girls try a sip.
I know it's not a big deal for a sip and even in certain cultures and/or religious children drink wine. Last time my boys had wine was when they were a week old at their bris. LOL!
Growing up my parents had wine with dinner and I've had a taste of theirs.
Wanted to hear other's thoughts

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

We haven't given them any and don't plan too. It's just not the way we were raised. Maybe at 19 or 20 at a wedding but not at 9 and 6

Letting your child try a little alcohol

I might consider it closer to 9 or 10. I don't see a big deal in giving a sip but certainly not often or every time I had a drink (which isn't very often anyway). I had tastes of my parents drinks as a kid and plenty of tiny cups at passover. Hard to say for sure if and when I'd be comfortable since my oldest is only 4 and I don't know how dh would feel about it.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

I'm not comfortable with that. I never had sips when I was a kid (but my parents aren't big drinkers).

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Letting your child try a little alcohol

My son has tasted wine. When I was a kid I would go get a beer out of the cooler for my dad and I would get the first sip.

I find nothing wrong with it. Its not like they are DRINKING alcohol...its a tiny sip

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Both our boys have tasted beer. They think it is gross and don't want to try it again.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

I feel like when she's older I'd be fine with it.
Not at 6.
I know I tasted booze as a kid- but closer to a teenager

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Message edited 2/2/2017 9:01:40 AM.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

I am not ok with even a sip at 8 or 9.. Maybe late teens. To me kids need to know that some things are for kids and some things are for adults.

Like when my 2 year old asks what my coffee is. A drink only for adults. I don't say here try a sip of my coffee..

Letting your child try a little alcohol

This is definitely not an easy answer. You don't want to demonize alcohol especially if you drink yourself. My children have accidentally drank my alcohol, and they don't like it LOL. But growing up in a large Italian family as preteens and teens we were always allowed to have sips of wine or beer.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

Not comfortable with it. Me and DH don't even drink.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Not cool IMO. I would never allow that. There is no reason for it. There are plenty of things adults do that are not for kids that they should be told no, it's for adults only.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

Neither DH nor I drink so there wouldn't be an opportunity for it, but DS has never even shown an interest in drinking our sugary drinks (soda, sweet tea, etc). He just prefers milk or water.

I'm not against him trying a sip if we did drink beer or wine though. I think that when you make something taboo then they'll want it more as a teen to be rebellious. I haven't read any research to know why some kids get into drinking at a young age (and why others don't) but I'll be looking into it when he's a little older (he's 7 now).

My mom grew up in Italy near an American base. She said that most of the drinking & driving car accidents involved Americans instead of the Italians. She felt that since wine was common that the kids didn't tend to over-do it when given the opportunity.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Message edited 2/2/2017 10:22:38 AM.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

My stepson is 18 now and has had sips of wine since about the age of 13 or so. Very tiny sips and very occasionally. Over the last year or so, he has been allowed to occasionally have his own very small glass of wine, at dinner. But, now he is away at college and we know he goes to parties and drinks - we trust him not to abuse alcohol, but are realistic about the fact that it's going to happen and that it's part of the college experience and something he has to learn to make good decisions about and to handle on his own.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

When DS and DD are closer to like 12/13...yes I will allow them to have a sip of my wine or beer here and there. It's a sip...it's not going to do anything (actually I think soda is worse for them than a sip of wine) and I personally feel it's worse to make it completely off-limits to them. When I was young my parents let me taste beer and when I became closer to 16 they would allow me to have a very small glass of wine at special occasions. The fact that it wasn't this off-limits thing for me made me less curious when I got older, so alcohol was never something that I over-indulged in when I went off to college and my friends started drinking. They taught me how to drink responsibly.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

I recently had a pregnancy loss and drank wine every single night for 3 weeks- most of those times I drank it with dinner in front of my DS and even that made me feel uncomfortable lol-- so no I would not allow my child to try an alcoholic drink. He knows it's an "adult drink" and I wouldn't want to send mixed signals. I honestly don't see a point of benefit whatsoever in exposing him any more than that.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Nope, I have never done that. My kids are 9 and 18.
No need for it.

If your child wanted a puff of your cigarette, would you let them? Same thing IMO.

Message edited 2/2/2017 10:49:12 AM.

Letting your child try a little alcohol

I think it's absolutely fine depending on the age of the child. My parents were big social drinkers growing up and they allowed my sister and I sips. My mom used to make frozen dirty bananas and we were allowed a tiny bit in a cup. They were delicious! I actually think it helps to not sensationalize alcohol and make it something forbidden.

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol

Re: Letting your child try a little alcohol