kids and wine?

[malley]

Anyone on here start their kids off with wine/ wine and water at an early age? I know the continentals have done so for years! What age did you start? There is a school of thought that it promotes a 'healthier' attitude to alcohol - thoughts? Be particularly interested to hear from anyone who did this and their kids are grown?!

Cheers,
Steve.

[resnikov]

Havent started on my kids yet as they are only 5 and 3 so a bit early. My parents did let me drink beer when we used to go on holiday to France. It was the small French beer bottles and I would be allowed 1 with my tea. I was proablly about 13 or 14 at the time. It hasnt done me any harm well I think it hasnt It taught me not to neck it but to drink slowly and enjoy it.
I personaly dont see an issue so long as its done under supervision and they are aware of the effects of too much wine.

[shortyman]

I seem to remember being given water and wine, and also shandies from about 9 or 10. Can't say I liked them much though. Don't think I've suffered any ill effects from it.

[tenderfoot]

Yeah did it with mine from about age 12. Still made no difference though to the "go to a party ,Get completely bladdered, throw up , go unconcious have parent on bedside watch all night," rite of teenage passage aged 16/17 though! sigh... and ive got the second one to do it yet...

[RonW]

Well, I regularly do enjoy a good, cold beer or a tasty glass of wine and off course my kids ask me if it's any good.
I tell them I like it and if they want they can have a taste. So far they're disgusted and wonder how I can enjoy it.

I also tell them that "grown-ups" sometimes use to much and I have told and shown them the effects over too much alcohol.

I treat alcohol the same way as I treat knives and fires.
It is there and you can use it. They are permitted to do so under supervision and are tought how to use it and what the consequences can be if not used properly.
Only the use of alcohol has the restriction not to use befor the age of 16. I feel it might do damage to their grtowth and development.

I know, I know, so do knives and fire, but alcohol damages the inside....

[John Fenna]

No kids of my own but I was brought up with booze...as an infant, if my mother wanted me to sleep she wouldhave a gin or whisky then breast feed me...whisky was a cold cure from my earliest memories, as a child from about8 or 9 cider or wine with Sunday lunch, then aged 12 the family all moved to Belgium and the wine and beers were better than the water .... no age limit on booze there so early teens we all met in the cafes and were knocking back the beer - but not spirits ... never realy did the "lets get pished" thing (though I did over do it now and then) and still prefer not to get out of control now.

[malley]

Thanks guys. Ron - that's the other side of the argument isn't it? Would hate to think it will have any adverse affect on development or internals - good point. I guess we either get the' party, drink, dance, throw up' urge, or we don't, anyway then?!?!?!?!

[Osprey]

Our kids are 19 and 17 now. We had a similar line to Ron, they were allowed to taste wine/beer/G&T etc under supervision and told of the consequences of over-indulgence.
They are now both of an age when binge-drinking is a feature of the parties they go to, and both have discovered the effects of drinking too much for themselves. Luckily, both seem to have learned from their experiences and both have had to look after friends who have become unconscious through drink. I would like to think that our approach has helped them to learn to drink responsibly.
We have a cabin in the garden which we have allowed the kids to use for their parties. I have taken the line that I would rather supply a controlled amount of booze and know where my kids and their friends are, than have them bingeing in some park and getting into trouble.
The downside of this is that I also store my bushcraft kit in the cabin. When I last used the dutch oven it contained some interesting deposits, which I think had once been chicken chow-mein !!
Doug.

[robin wood]

Our kids have had the option of a glass with a splash of wine or beer when we were having it with a meal from an early age, I can't remember when exactly but quite small amounts and quite young. Now at 13 and 16 they will enjoy a stubby beer with us whilst watching a film or a small glass of wine with a meal. We point out folks we know that drink excessively and they know the kids and know the consequences. They also have friends that do the throwing up at party things and so far think it is very uncool. We are lucky to mix in a society (small village) where children and adults mix and talk, the schools are small so the kids form mixed age and sex peer groups which I think also helps. I think it is pretty unnatural to be in the position I was in my youth where you only ever speak to other boys of your own age. If that is your peer group and where most of your information about what is good and bad, what is cool and uncool comes from then working out a responsible attitude to drugs, legally available or otherwise takes time.

[woof]

A good example of this was my own daughter, then 16(now 25)went out with some friends from college. My own children had been allowed to try then have drinks of their own, so she was no stranger to beer, anyway, they all got into a pub & had a pint of stella each. One girl who's parents were very anti her having a drink, got absolutley wasted on that one pint, which caused all sorts of problems.

Let them try it, it might put them off, and that will save them a fortune !.

Rob

[Melonfish]

Oh there are those moments when they're little, my 4 year old decided to have a taste of some of my westons cider, i thought he'd screw his face up and go "Yuk" instead he asked for more....
we now keep all cider away from him! at least till he's older... i swear he's like a character out of a wurzels song he's all for it...
my eldest has had the odd taste, he's 8 in feb, we'll be giving him watered wine this christmas so he can feel grown up and join in, not much mind as he's a skinny lil bugger and i reckon sniffing it would make him drunk!

my parents were happy to introduce me to alcohol early, wine at christmas and the odd half pint of shandy when i got a bit older when out with my dad. i reckon it helped me understand the limits, i mean i've been out fried off my face, but then who doesn't get like at one point or another its how we learn about the evils of drink (or more the hangover the next day)
there was that one new year at CalibanZwei's place tho where i started the night with a half pint of jim beams and it all went downhill from there, i don't think i made it to midnight actually...

[Ian S]

My parents allowed me to have the proverbial one small glass of wine, (well lemonaded) Martini/Cinzano and lemonade or (well lemonaded) shandy from a young age - say 8? Only did the silly drinking less than 10 times in total starting when I was 17 or 18 and only drink in moderation now.

Contrast that with a couple of friends - not allowed alcohol until they were 18, no idea how to drink sensibly....very messy.

I'm all for people educating their kids about alcohol, and it seems that everybody on this thread supports this view.

[Man of Tanith]

i fully agree with introducing alcohol to children at an impressionable age
i was about 5 when i was allowed a 'dippy' finger of my dads drink usually beer or wine literally a dipped finger to taste the flavour usually followed by noises of disgust from me and a big slurp of what ever juice or pop i was drinking to get rid of the taste.
As a teenager my parents turned a blind eye to me nipping down the local playing field with friends for a shared 3litre bottle of cider and at house parties the rule was alcopops beer and cider no straight spirits and my folks were always in the kitchen monitoring in a subtle way what we were getting upto.
we learnt the evils of straight spirits at a house party my parents werent at when two lasses were drinking vodka straight from the bottle-mouths hold a hell of a lot more than you think in one swig. two hours of holding one lasses hair out of the toilet and struggling to remove her vomit covered clothing before dumping her in a bed convinced me it wasn't wise.
not that i always follow these lessons now at 29 but i've learnt my limits the hard way.

With shan of tanith at 8 years old and bump of tanith not even here yet its not a real concern for me as yet but i think i shall follow the example shown to me by my folks when they start to develop an interest in my port

[Osprey]

I also think it is a good idea to give your kids some idea of basic first aid, putting someone in the recovery position and some idea of how to deal with aggressive drunks before they head off to college or university. My son has found all these skills useful at university when dealing with others who have not learnt more responsible behaviour.
Doug.

[Asa Samuel]

I was brought up allowed to drink small volumes of alcohol (watered down wine with a meal, shandy, the odd sip of things to try the taste etc.) and I think it's put me with the right mind towards alcohol. I'm 18 and most people my age are out binge drinking till god knows what hour in the morning and really get themselves in a mess but I don't see the point in that. Alcohol is just another drink that tastes great, there's no point in drinking it just to get off your head.
In my opinion if you are strictly forbidden from drinking until you come of age then you are more likely to try and get your hands on as much of it as often as you can and when you are allowed to buy it legally you will just go out and drink more just because you can. If it's not "Forbidden Fruit" you are less likely to be tempted.

[malley]

well, I've give it a go with dinner today - 'bucks fizz' ( predominantly orange juice!) and a splash of wine with lots of water. she loved being allowed to have some and is in a very good mood! Thank you all for the insights - very interesting. Especially that people see it as a way to educate as well as introduce. Much appreciated.

[Highbinder]

My mother is French. I remember having wine (suitably diluted with water) at around nine. I think I had my first shandy at 12 with my father. I've never binge drinked and I honestly believe it was because I was introduced to alcohol by my family in an open way.

[gowersponger]

i let my boys who are 8 and 4 suck the froth lol but thats all when they are 16 i will let them have a shandy my 8 year old loves a game of darts in the pub already

[Freddy]

Hi , i was bought up allowed to drink whatever i liked and at 37 i can honestly say i can count the amount of times i`ve ben really hammered on one hand , when i was 17/18 i would always volunteer to be the driver with my mates because drink held no facination to me .
Now i have 2 neices , one 15 and the other 18 . I used to buy them drink from an early age and they both are very responsible with drink now . When the 18 year old goes to the night clubs with her friends now we know she will be fine because she already nows her drink limits and stays with in them (just ) unlike some of her friend who where not allowed drink when younger and are causing all sorts of probs which disqusts my niece that they "cant hold there drink" .
Sorry for poor spelling , freddy

[whitey3192]

when i was about 14 my dad caught me trying to hide a 3 litre bottle of cider in my school bag.
the intention was to go up the local footy pitch and drink it with me mates as i had done plenty times before.
but, instead of a telling off (which was the very least i expected TBH) he told me i could drink it in my room and get some mates round if i wanted to.
he said he would rather i drank it in the house than go roaming the streets with bottles and annoying people etc and coming home with the cops on my back.

a good line to take i still believe to this day.

just a shame he didnt see it like that when i was caught with some 'mixed herbs' about a year later lol
doh! we live and learn!!

[garethw]

We had wine at table all through my youth... I was given a glass with water...I now live in France and the kids get a glass of champagne or wine if they want. Oftne ou can dilute with fruit juice of water.
No point in keeping them from a drink that is part of the country's heritage. But best teach moderation....
Amicalement
Gareth