Anonymous wrote:I just don’t like the idea of drinking and driving.

This is how so many middle age 30 & 40 somethings catch their first DUI charges.

They don't picture "too tipsy to drive" as having a few glasses of wine at a bday party. Or an afternoon at a winery.

I work in the court system in my county that deals with first DUI offenses. I hear the same story over and over..."I had two glasses of wine at dinner." "I had a couple of beers watching the game." but people fail to realize that their body changes as they get older and the alcohol metabolizes differently. Two beers at 22 is different than 2 beers at 38, especially now that higher BAC beers are popular.

Most of these people also come in with low-level BACs, like 0.09-0.11. Some of them even pass the roadside sobriety tests because they're simply tipsy, but tipsy driving is drunk driving.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I feel like it's the norm here. I admit I'm not a huge fan, mostly because it seems wild that people can't even enjoy a kids' birthday party without a drink. But it's not like any obvious harm comes from it.

I’ve never attended a kids birthday party here (DC area) where anything other than La Croix & organic juice boxes were served.

Sorry you have lame friends.

This. Kids birthday parties are awful. Give parent a drink to make them more tolerable.

They really aren't. Maybe have better conversations or friends vs needing alcohol to make it more tolerable

This sounds like a family backyard party. People can celebrate how they like at their own home with family.

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t like the idea of drinking and driving.

The one who will be driving doesn’t drink, duh. Have you never been out to a bar?

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like it's the norm here. I admit I'm not a huge fan, mostly because it seems wild that people can't even enjoy a kids' birthday party without a drink. But it's not like any obvious harm comes from it.

I’ve never attended a kids birthday party here (DC area) where anything other than La Croix & organic juice boxes were served.

Sorry you have lame friends.

This. Kids birthday parties are awful. Give parent a drink to make them more tolerable.

They really aren't. Maybe have better conversations or friends vs needing alcohol to make it more tolerable

I can’t imagine inviting people over for a gathering and *not* serving alcohol. But of course it depends on the venue. My home - yes. A party place - no.

We don't drink, and don't usually have alcohol in the house, but alcohol is not the devil. There is no reason to have such a weird separation between children's parties and alcohol. It's like only listening to kids' music when kids are around. Please include your children in your lives, OP. They need to listen to your music, see you drinking, and occasionally arguing. You can't shut them up in a bubble.

I agree this is very typical for an outdoor backdoor birthday party. We haven't really done it as we don't drink much so I just don't always think of it because the timing of the parties was usually early and mostly our extended family(kids are 1 and 4) but it certainly wouldn't surprise me to have especially at a late afternoon party. I think parents see it as an opportunity to hang out when it's the younger kids and some folks like to have a drink or two when doing that which is totally fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like it's the norm here. I admit I'm not a huge fan, mostly because it seems wild that people can't even enjoy a kids' birthday party without a drink. But it's not like any obvious harm comes from it.

I’ve never attended a kids birthday party here (DC area) where anything other than La Croix & organic juice boxes were served.

Sorry you have lame friends.

This. Kids birthday parties are awful. Give parent a drink to make them more tolerable.

Why can't adults drink at a child's party? Is everything served supposed to be kid friendly? Is coffee not allowed either?

I don't drink AND I don't judge this behavior. It's totally norm in my my UC circle. Are you from the Bible belt or just have a limited social circle?

I've hosted 6 birthday parties now, and probably been to an additional 6-10 per year every year of those 6. I can count on one hand the number of times alcohol *hasn't* been served.

Our circle has started to default to Friday evening / Saturday evening parties (so glad we've aged out of the 10 a.m. party circuit), and there is always beer & wine + NA options. Even when we were doing the 1st birthday / early morning circuit, there were usually mimosas.

Birthday parties aren't just for kids. You're entertaining parents, too.

Yeah we always have beer and wine. I think most parents know how to not get wasted at a kids' party. It's never been an issue.

I wouldn’t bother servicing it if I was truly having a kids party where the adults were only there to supervise their kid (like invited my 3yos class to a park party, but the adults were having to actively parent). But by 5 and with 40 adults there to supervise, yes of course you want to make it enjoyable for the adults. And no one said they HAVE to have a drink to enjoy themselves but there’s also nothing wrong with having a drink to enjoy yourself at a social gathering!

I would want alcohol for that. Good on the hosts.

We usually serve champagne at our kids’ bdays.