We offer wine at Thanksgiving and Christmas and at other times when we have wine. We do not drink win with dinner on a regular basis.

My oldest turns 21 on St Patrick's day next year and it is on a Saturday during spring break. I am more worried about that than an occasional glass of wine with dinner.

Once a kid turns 18, it is his or her decision to make, imo.The parents' responsibility is to make sure their DC doesn't reach adulthood without having been given tools, knowledge, & guidance necessary to make his or her decision an informed one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your at home or on vacation and there's NO chance of your college age kids (under 21) driving, would you ever allow them to have a beer, glass of wine or such? I'm just talking a single drink, not getting drunk.

Ha! I grew up in Wisconsin where there is no legal drinking age (minors can be served in a bar with parents present) Yes, I've allowed my college age children to have a drink or two at home when there is no chance of them leaving the house. I will not allow other peoples kids to drink however

While your statement about it being legal for minors of all ages to be served alcohol in bars & restaurants in WI as long as their parent/legal guardian (or spouse in cases where one spouse is 21 + & the other isn't) is present, it's a bit misleading /not really accurate to say that there is no legal drinking age there. As in other states, one cannot legally purchase alcohol in a store, drink it at a frat party, go out drinking with friends, etc.

Anonymous wrote:If your at home or on vacation and there's NO chance of your college age kids (under 21) driving, would you ever allow them to have a beer, glass of wine or such? I'm just talking a single drink, not getting drunk.

No. In our home drinking alcohol is for adults over the age of 21. In your home do whatever you want.

Yes. Sips since she 15. Small glasses - maybe 1/4 glass - offered until 18. Not a lot of interest shown for more, but once DD had a glass of wine (18), DS likes half a beer.
It's good to have moderate experience at home. In a group peer setting I think there would be pressure to keep drinking constantly and that's where the trouble starts. I think having had drinks for years, albeit little ones, takes some of the pressure off.

Anonymous wrote:Do whatever you want with your kids. I do take umbrage with the people who allow other people's children to drink in their presence. You don't get to make that choice for someone else's kids.

Our teen has been allowed to drink (i.e. have a glass of wine or a beer) at home through high school. When the teen asked if a friend could join I checked with the friend's parents first.
FWIW, our teen has been talking non stop how grateful he is to us for allowing him to have a drink -- says he know knows his limits and is not interested in drinking for the sake of drinking.

Agreed, I do give my own teens drinks occasionally at home but I would never give any to someone else's kids without the parents' consent - and maybe not even then because of possible legal ramifications

Do whatever you want with your kids. I do take umbrage with the people who allow other people's children to drink in their presence. You don't get to make that choice for someone else's kids.

I would absolutely let my child have a drink with us every once in awhile. I'm not talking shots or a full glass of wine, but a sip here thee in high school isn't going to be a huge deal.

Either way, I don't think it matters. You can be totally restrictive or you can try to demystify alcohol, as some posters have said. Neither one will really do much to stop kids from binge drinking.

I don't have a study to back me up, but I do feel a lot of binge drinking is personality-driven. And no amount of light exposure or no exposure will do much to change the way a person relates to alcohol especially in college

http://www.millennialinflux.com/myth-busters-can-europeans-hold-their-alcohol-better-than-americans/

Binge drinking IS a problem in Europe. European teens drink more often, get drunk more often, and drink more heavily than American teens.

I didn't realize people still believed the European teens don't binge drink myth.