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Do you drink in front of your kids?
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Anonymous
| If we go out to dinner, I will have a glass of wine. If we're at a bbq, I might have a couple beers. I'm just a social drinker. Last weekend, DS (2 yrs old) saw a beer on the table, grabbed it, and brought it over to me - ' here mommy'. It just made me feel really weird and creepy. My parents and other people were there, and it felt like they thought that I must drink around him really often for him to think that any beer around is mine. I grew up with parents who were complete teetotalers, so I don't have a good sense of how others handle this. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
| Yep. It's a part of life. My family also owns a bar so there is always plenty of alcohol at family functions. My parents approach was not to treat alcohol as a forbidden mysterious substance and I am continuing with that. |
Anonymous
| Yes. Why not? I don't get drunk in front of my kids, but they understand that some drinks are for adults, like beer, wine, coffee... NBD. |
Anonymous
| Sure I do. She's four, and understands perfectly that some things are for grownups. It's never been an issue. But then, I'm not puritanical about alcohol. |
Anonymous
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OMG OP I'd be mortified!!! Super funny too!!! I'm so sorry!
Alcohol in our house was normal, my parents would let me try anything I wanted and I recall asking for the first time when I was around 15yo. The result was a responsible adult who rarely drinks and has never done anything behind their backs. That's how we're raising our children too. |
Anonymous
OP, you do realize that this is the source of the weird & creepy feelings? To most parents of young kids, it's really no big deal. My DH is a wine lover/ collector and our DCs (4 & 6) know a surprising amount about wine, how it comes from grapes, there are different varietals, etc. They also know it's exclusively for grown-ups and that it is meant to be consumed with food, and that it makes food taste better. Good lessons to learn from a young age, I think.... |
Anonymous
| We definitely drink in front of our children. |
Anonymous
| As our kids became teens and into driving years, we really reduced the amount of alcohol in the house and the amount consumed. And we never ever had a drink and then drove. Never. Not one drink. When they kids are 16 and looking for guidance, it just didn't seem like a good idea to have the garage fridge filled with beer or have a drink or two and then drive them to a friend's house. We really wanted to set the example that while underage drinking is unacceptable, it's never ok to drink and drive. You might have to have a 16 year old driver in your house to see how you feel about this one (and it's not the same to compare what you're parents were doing when you were 16. Just not the same). |
Anonymous
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I do, but not a lot. I have a glass of wine here and there. School (or someone) has really drummed negativity about alcohol into my kids' heads. They talk about how it's bad. I explain that it's ok if you don't drink too much.
DH rarely drinks and we never drink and drive. I'm hoping to give my kids a healthy view of alcohol, but I'm not sure how it's going. FWIW, I used to love scotch and soda as a kid. My mom drank it and I often took a sip. 
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Anonymous
| Yes. It wouldn't occur to me to not drink in front of my kids. It's not like I'm getting wasted or anything. |
Anonymous
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I don't drink but I think it's completely normal to show responsible drinking habits around kids. When I was growing up I saw my dad drink daily (beer or wine with dinner, etc) but never saw him drunk.
What's abnormal is hiding it and making it secretive. Especially if there's nothing to hide. |
Anonymous
Right, as long as there's no abuse and you don't drink and drive. |
Anonymous
| I will start by saying that my parents had a lot of alcohol issues.. So, no I usually don't... My DD is three and we're just now at the point where if we're out at a restaurant or whatever I'll have some wine, but everything else generally waits until after she's in bed.. |
Anonymous
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I do. But very much in moderation. If we're out at dinner I might have a beer or (more likely) a glass of wine. If we're at a party, I'll have a beer or wine. I weigh 140 pounds and one drink in 1-2 hours isn't going to affect me to the point of inebriation. My daughter calls my wine "Mommy Juice." But normally, I put her to bed before I have my nightly glass of red wine.
I grew up with parents who didn't drink much, but weren't opposed to it. It wasn't an evil. our church served real wine at communion, so we sipped from that cup from about 12 years old. I came to college with a pretty chill attitude toward alcohol. I've never needed to get wasted to have a good time. When my daughter wants to taste my beer or wine, I'll give her a sip. She'll grow up knowing that she should save the drinking for college. We'll see if that happens. |
Anonymous
My parents didn't drink at all. No alcohol in the house ever, not even at family functions. The result was a responsible adult who rarely drinks and has never done anything behind their backs. |