Would you ever allow your child to drink while underage if you were supervising?

Question

I have two teenagers and my 14 yr old son I allow the occassional drink he's mature my daughter no way she's not so mature, so I think it does depend on your own child and you as a parent can judge for yourselves on this !

Answer 1

no i would not let then drink.i think the drink age should be 21

and above.and big massive fines for shops and supermarkets that sells alcohol to the underaged

Answer 2

Not to excess but 1 drink at the age of 15 once a week wont kill her, my 10 year old no i wouldn't. If you make something so forbidden that you cant trust them even under your nose it just makes it far more attractive to hang around a street corner with a bottle of cheap cider. Yes there are boundary's but i dont want my kids to rebel when they are older by wrapping them up in cotton wool to the point when they want to go out and do all the things i have stopped them doing behind my back.

Answer 3

My mom let me, but not until I was about 16, and always only a little, usually Bailey's.  Half the time it was in hot chocolate.  I think I would for my kids at about 16, depending on how mature they are.  Although, my husband I drink so rarely, I don't think we'd have any alcohol in our house.  In the past year I think we've had four drinks/beers between us.

Answer 4

my mum introduced me to diluted wine at at about 5 (im european)

now im 17 and i have always been allowed to drink and because it has never been taboo iv never felt the need to go mad and drink too much in stolen moments hidden from my parents

i love going out with my freinds to clubs and going down to my local for a game of pool and a beer and i never ever get drunk or forget where iv been or what ive been doing

Answer 5

My parents do.  They would never give me anything even close to a normal amount, though.  But I like to taste their wine when they drink it, or cocktails...but its not like I'm really little, first of all.   They wouldn't let me start until I was 13 (and that was only once).   I only really started tasting their drinks once I was 16.  Its not a big deal.  Its nowhere near enough to even show up if I used a breath analyzer.  Plus, by letting me have sips randomly, alcohol isn't some secret luxury that I'm desperate to try and see what its like.  I know what it is, and so I'm not in any hurry to "go out and get pissed" or somethin.  So letting your kids drink a little can actually be good :P

Answer 6

I live in Spain where kids are brought up around alcohol as wine is served at most meals. Some Spanish families give teenagers lemonade with a little wine in it, and it never seems to do them any harm. We certainly do not have any of the drink crazed kids on the streets that you have in the UK. We can buy alcohol almost 24 hours a day here, but do the kids abuse this, NEVER! The problem is not the alcohol, the problem is the generation of yob culture that seems to be rife in the UK at the moment!!!

Don't make tougher smoking and drinking laws- get tough on straightening out the society these kids are living in and you will solve te problem!

Here kids are brought up to respect elders, are much more family orientated and stay kids much longer than in the UK. You would NEVER see gangs of youths hanging around in parks binging here, although we do have summer problems where there are adults of say around 20 upwards who feel the need to congregate and drink heavily but usually they are on holiday for the summer.

I am not saying we are right, but the UK government have caused alot of this culture by being too politically correct, so the kids know they can do as they like and no one can stop them.

Answer 7

Yes. My kids are only 4 and 6 months but me and my partner have discussed this already. It is my opinion that if you allow your child to have a relaxed attitude about alcohol (or anything else for that matter) then they will not go mad and have too much when they finally can. Its the same if you don't allow your kids sweets or chocolate. When they can go and get it themselves they will just get LOADS and go mental on it!

You are right though, it does depend on the child.

Answer 8

I was brought up being able to have the occasional drink with special meals or special occasions and I believe it taught me to drink responsible.  I do the same with my children and they are 9 & 7 (only on a special occasion though and only one).  Children want what they are not allowed.

Answer 9

The minimum legal age here for drinking alcohol is 5.

I would not let an under 5 drink alcoholic drink.

I would allow a child over that age some alcohol, but would not allow them to drink the quantities of adults.  Say one glass of wine with a meal on a special occasion, or one shandy on a sunny day.  

Not only is that not illegal, it is responsible as treating alcohol with normal, and showing me and his mother drinking quietly and sensible will prevent my child getting into binge drinking the second he turns 18.

Answer 10

No. I don't think so. I don't really see a need for it- but I do understand what some people say about, how in European countries like Italy and France, adolecents aren't too bothered about "binge-drinking" because they've been introduced to it at a young age.

I don't think it would be appropriate in England  - we live in a totally different culture, and I just think it would give some parents a legal right to feed their teenagers cider!!

Answer 11

Well if she is about 14. I would allow her to have half a glass of wine (the other half gingerale) But at dinner and no friends over as i will not be responsible for other kids. And once in a while as long as i'm there.

Answer 12

Maturity or not what are you doing to there heath. I am a stay at home mom of 3 and i do drink every once in a while but I am a grown women. My body and growth is fully developed. theres is not. Beleive it or not there are standards on things like alcohol for a reason....maybe you should serf the web on the side effects of alcohol and what it does to under developed bodies...like teenage boys and girls.

Answer 13

I would, I would rather have my daughter taste alcohol in the house so she will know what it is rather than her pressured to have it around strangers/friends.

I was 9 when I had my first taste of beer, and I drank alcohol on occasions @ home when I was 13+

Now I am a very healthy 29 year old female (married with 1yr old baby) and my brother is 31 and we don't have a drinking problem.  When we were old enough our parents knew about our drinking outside our home and it was very responsible.

Answer 14

At seventeen yes, any younger then probably no. But I wouldn't supervise, I would tell them not too drink too much and all that. But I would make sure I could trust my kids, jsut like my parents trusted me when I was 17.

Answer 15

I have always said that I would prefer my son to drink at home instead of roaming the streets and getting into trouble. He is only 10 now, but I would like to think that once he reaches 14, 15, 16 he would feel comfortable enough with me to ask if he could have his friends round to do what teenagers do.

I would much prefer him to do it at home instead of out in the streets/parks/woods. At least there would be an adult on hand in case things went wrong.

Answer 16

Yes. It's perfectly legal in the UK for a parent to allow a child to have a small amount of alcohol at home. If we are having a glass of wine with dinner my kids often have a tiny taste. I have no desire for them to get to 18 thinking that what you do when you're old enough to try alcohol for the first time is go out and get plastered.

Answer 17

No. For a few reasons.

First of all, it is illegal whether you're supervising or not, and as I am trying to set good morals and values in my daughter and teach her right from wrong, which, as parents, is our responsibility, I don't do it myself, pregnant or not. Why would I allow my children to do something I don't do myself?

Secondly, I am a good parent. I would not want to risk being arrested and fined, or sent to jail, where I cannot raise my kids, all because I supplied alcohol to minors, which, by the way, is also illegal.

Thirdly, going back to the morals, my children deserve a happy and healthy life, alcohol is not healthy for them, nor is a life in jail.

And finally, alcoholism runs in my family. My brother and I are at a higher risk for becoming addicted to alcohol, and neither of us choose to drink because of that. We want to break that cycle, in the hopes that we will stop it in it's tracks, rather than continue that cycle on. Showing our kids that we are strong enough to avoid something potentially dangerous shows them they can be too.

So no, I would not allow my children to drink even if I was supervising. Not even one little sip.

Any parent who would allow that is obviously not a mature and responsible enough parent to have kids.

Once they're of age (19 here), whatever. I can't stop them, and they can do what they wish, but before that time comes, I can try my best to instil responsibility and maturity in them that if they were to drink, whether at legal age or before, they'd at least do it responsibly.

But again, no, I wouldn't knowingly ALLOW my children to drink, whether supervised or not.

EDIT: Funny how all the thumbs down are probably coming from teenage kids, ones who don't want to read a whole "story" and see that my response actually has some validity to it. How would any parent want to continue a cycle of alcoholism within their child when it already runs in the family? That's sick!

Answer 18

At a family gathering if I was supervising then yes i would, so long as it was just the one drink.

Telling a teenager " no you can't drink " just fuels their desire to do it.

I don't see anything wrong with parents allowing their teenagers to have a drink under adult supervision, it teaches them to drink in moderation, also to respect alcohol & not abuse it.

In the Uk it is legal for a child as young as 3 yrs of age to consume alcohol in a private function, but I don't agree with this law, that's way too young in my opinion.

Good Luck. X :-)

Answer 19

No.

I am not a goody goody by any stretch of the imagination but I am certainly NOT trying to teach my children 1. breaking the law is okay when you are home and 2. you need alcohol to have fun.

Addiction is a serious problem....as the child of an alcoholic I have not only watched my father drink himself to poor health....I have watched my once vibrant little brother become an embarrassing drunk.....I 'd rather not create that same legacy for my children.

Answer 20

if aged 14 /15 and awa on holiday or at a wedding , or christmas etc then yes id let them have the odd drink but not get drunk

once they turn 16 and leave school , its up to them , if they old enough to leave home and have s*x by law , then they should also be allowed to drink

Answer 21

No. Certain chemicals in the alcohol can mix with certain chemicals in the brain and cause minor brain damage in children. the age limit is there for a reason, not just because its innapropriate for a child to be subjected to drunk behaviour.

A sip to taste maybe, but not their own drink.

Answer 22

my mum lets me, im under age.. also my friends mums let them.. i dont see no harm. if your there and got control then theres no problem :D

and to the person who commented about me, shes got it all wrong. its LEGAL to let your sons - daughters drink no matter there age in restrants and at your home. just not in public places and non-related underagers

Answer 23

This is a tough question. I have two teenage sons, 17 and soon to be 14.

Now when I was growing up the drinking age was 18 and long before I was 18 it was not uncommon to have a glass of wine with a family dinner.

Now at one time in my life I was a heavy drinker and these days I don't drink at all. Some of my friends have become problem drinkers and a couple have killed themselves with alcohol.

I mixed because I denying my boys an adult pleasure that under my supervision can be maturely enjoy before they are 21. But on the other hand alcohol can be a dangerous drug and you can't always tell who it will hurt.

Both my boys have promised to refrain from alcohol until they are 21 but I'm sure things aren't going to be that simple. Right now neither one of them doesn't seem that curious about drinking. When they ask me about things like this I do give them honest answers and since they don't see me, my wife and most of friends drinking; they feel you can have a good time without it.

So a glass of wine at a family dinner? -probably yes. Would I let them have a few beers at supervised teen party? -probably no. I'm sure because like I said the issue hasn't come up yet.

Answer 24

demonising drink is counterproductive, but allowing full drinking is not good. a stepped sensible approach, and teaching that alcohol is only a small part of enjoyment...

Answer 25

You should let children drink from a certain age, let them have a glass of wine with a meal, or a sherry at christmas so that they can understand how to drink sensibley and don't rush out and get smashed as soon as they turn 18.

Answer 26

no i would not my parents allowed me the occasional drink and i still went behind their backs and partied , i think if they see their parents using alcohol responsibly then they will eventually learn it. not by allowing minors to do it just to be the cool parent.

Answer 27

You would really need to define "drinking" and "child" as your meaning of the term would drastically change my answer.

Growing up in a very traditional Anglican household, I began taking communion at the age of twelve. For a number of years before that, however, my grandfather set the table for Sunday dinner with regular wine glasses for the adults and tiny, miniature ones for the children of grade school age. I saw (and still see) no harm in that.

While we do not regularly drink in my household, I have allowed my grammar-school aged daughter to taste my glass of wine. Would I fix her a glass of her own? Uh - NO. That was fine for Gramps and were he still living, then I would honor the customs of his table. I do not choose to continue them myself, however.

Would I allow my teenage child to drink with the purpose of catching a buzz (with or without friends) as long as he or she was under my supervision? Absolutely, inequivocally not.

I would not want the moral or legal responsibility for something like that. I could go to jail, have my child taken away, end up on the news, lose my job, have my child end up an alcoholic (there is an increased likelyhood of that happening when kids abuse alcohol at an early age), or God knows what else.

While my child may one day exert pressure on me to let her do something like, I OWE her my refusal as a parent, just like I will owe her my refusal if she asks to get married at 15, wants a tattoo at twelve, wishes to spend the night her boyfriend at 13, wants to move boyfriend in at 14, hopes to drop out of school and get a job at 16, thinks meth might help her to loose weight at 17, or any number of a thousand different mistakes that she might make.

Yeah, I might not be voted the world's most popular mom at the time, but I never, ever want to look back and see mistakes like that in my parenting. Gtod knows I will make enough "honest" ones without stepping off into a class-A s***w-up like that.

Answer 28

I think it's fine if it really is monitored. I allow my son a shandy when we go for sunday luch at granparents. I think if you are too strict, it will only push them into trying it somewhere else under pressure from piers.

Answer 29

Most Definitly -

How are children supposed to learn to drink responsibly and not ridiculously if you just forbid them to do it for so long. Its like the age old 'Keep off the Grass' sign. Whats the first thing you wan to do when you read that sign???

Answer 30

Yes. I would allow my child a drink when in the company of adults - not other children (by child I would say over 14). for example, I would allow them a drink with dinner or if we had guests. I think that way, they learn to drink sensible & in moderation rather than hitting 18 (UK drinking age) and going out getting drunk.

Edit: Can I just point something out? In the UK, it IS NOT illegal for someone under the age 18 to drink in a private household. It is only illegal for an under 18 to purchase drink in a licensed premises or drink in a licensed premises. There is no legal minimum age to drink when at home, but giving alcohol to a child when their body wont accept it (usually under 5 years) may be deemed child abuse.

Answer 31

My oldest son is 13 and he has what I think to be an addictive personality. When he has something he likes, be it pop or candy he constantly wants it until it's gone and lacks a lot of self control. Unless I see a change in him, I won't introduce him to even an occasional drink, or beer. If he showed control over his urges it would be different and I would allow him to go have a beer. But I don't disagree with your parenting methods. I guess it depends on the maturity of the child and parents.