This week, there's been a lot of talk about lowering the drinking age to 18. Well, what about lowering it even further? Not legally, but within the confines of the home? The food and wine writer Gretchen Roberts argues in this Babble essay about her decision to let her young children taste wine from an early age. Here's her reasoning:Our country has a stormy history with alcoholic beverages, from the saloons of the Wild West to the bootlegging of Prohibition. Even now, the tenuous post-Prohibition ceasefire still harbors a deep-seated horror of alcohol in general (witness the absurd blue laws), and a special fear of exposing our children to alcohol. This self-righteous attitude is a touchy trigger for adolescent binge-drinking.
Just as my five-year-old understands that an occasional cookie is fine for a treat but an entire package in one sitting is not, she also understands that a glass of wine (or in her case, a taste) is a present to be unwrapped slowly and with savor, not an excuse to binge.
Read the whole article here.
What do you think? Is it better to be introduced to alcohol around the family table? Or is giving your grade-school kids wine bad parenting?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. I agree with it wholeheartedly. My parents did the same to me and, at 20, I've never been drunk or gone to any expecting to.
Caitlin at 5:19PM on May 2nd 2008
2. *any parties expecting to.
Caitlin at 5:21PM on May 2nd 2008
3. Ada,
....""a deep-seated horror of alcohol in general (witness the absurd blue laws), and a special fear of exposing our children to alcohol."""
I agree. And as soon as she's finished exposing her child to alcohol, she can go out and buy a 9MM semi-automatic handgun, take him to the firing range and expose him to gun safety.
Willet at 5:22PM on May 2nd 2008
4. Willet, exposing a small child to a taste of wine is not the same as letting them run around in a firing range. Binge drinking teens are doing something considered taboo, and that is what they find so wonderful about it. If the child is introduced to alchohol in safe amounts (like the taste for the five year old, or however old the kid in question is), then the child will become used to it, not as interested it as something taboo and rebellious, and will learn what is reasonable and safe and what is not.
Cori at 5:42PM on May 2nd 2008
5. Cori,
We're talking ATF exposure here. Give your 5 year old a snort of wine covers the "A", buying him a semi-automatic hand gun covers the "F".
The only thing left is to take him to a tobacco shop and give him a pinch of chew...that covers the "T".
Willet at 6:50PM on May 2nd 2008
6. Check out http://detentionslip.org for stories about teachers who have been arrested for buying booze for their students.
sweetchuckd at 8:01PM on May 2nd 2008
7. I agree with Gretchen Roberts. Starting when i was 15 or so, my parents began offering me small amounts of wine with dinner. I thought it was nasty, and refused politely. When i became older, but before I left for college, I was allowed to have parties at home with mulled wine or wine punch served to any of the guests who wanted it. Of course, my parents were home, they mixed the punch, and they supervised everyone's drinking. When I went to college, I had no interest in drinking at all, and neither did any of my friends who didn't have addictive personalities. I never even got drunk until I was over 25 years old and already owned my own home.
My husband was brought up the same way, and that's how we will be raising our son, even if we get in trouble with the school district or other parents about it. We immunize our children against diseases they might be exposed to outside the home or when they grow up and move away -- why shouldn't we immunize them from alchohol abuse while they are still living with us?
Another great side effect of this policy, which was very common among the other parents at our schools, is that problem drinkers can be identified before they even leave for college. The one friend of mine who was having trouble with alchohol was referred to treatment before she was 17 years old, and was sober before she left college. Let's be sensible, people....
Mary at 11:37PM on May 2nd 2008
8. [quote]When i became older, but before I left for college, I was allowed to have parties at home with mulled wine or wine punch served to any of the guests who wanted it.[/quote]
We had a parent here locally who did this with their HS kids and their kids friends, one of the kids left the party and was in an accident, he and another person were killed.
The parents who held the party were charged for giving undersage kids alcohol. Not a risk as a parent of teenagers I'm willing to take.
My parents allowed us to drink, do drugs and we were taken to the gun range at other times and taught to use guns. However, at no time did my parents allow us to have friends over when we did these things..it's one thing to allow your own children to do those things, it's quite another to allow person's children to do those things.
All of my children have tasted alcohol, none of them liked the taste, so I have not encouraged them to continue having a taste on occassion. Much like veggies, they've tried various veggies, they know what they like and what they don't..I don't force them to eat the ones they don't like.
As far as drugs go, I just let them know it's illegal for anyone to use drugs including myself and even if they were legal, I still wouldn't do them. I've seen many families ruined because of both drugs and alcohol so why would I encourage the use of either?
And I have no problem teaching my children about gun safety,
Bug at 10:19AM on May 3rd 2008
9. My dad also allowed drinking at our home when we were teenagers. Then I thought it was cool. Now at 48yrs of age, I see the idiosy in this , it is a drug and kids do not know the dangers of addiction nor believe it will happen to them. At this time
both of my brothers struggle with alcohol issues.
linda at 11:44AM on May 3rd 2008
10. Hey Smart Lady, why dont you let your 5 year old take a sniff of some angel dust, you know that way she'll know that its wrong to binge on it later on in life....Fun Fact for you: A large percentage of alcoholics admit to have tasted some type of substance at a tender age. Hummmmmm ring any bells? My mom didn't have to treat me to a Corona at 5 for me to know as a teenager and an adult to stay away from alcohol.
peachyanita at 12:15PM on May 3rd 2008
11. My father was a police officer for 30 years. I cannot count how many times he had to go to a house to inform parents that their child had been killed after leaving a parent "sponsered" party. Just because there is supervision, doesn't make it right. Were all the times it worked out fine worth the one time it did not. I reckognize the "taboo" arguement. I tend to agree. And for some things risks are worth it. But are our childrens lives worth their opportunity to drink alcohol? I think not.
Jim at 12:53PM on May 3rd 2008
12. This lady is off her rocker, seriously. Considering a five year old child is very SMALL, a little bit of alcohol will make you impaired. Sooner or later, this kid is going to be telling everyone in his/her kindergarten class that "my mommy lets me drink". Wow. Horrible.
OkayDokay at 2:15PM on May 3rd 2008
13. This is not an easy subject for some people because many of them have probably dealt with alcoholism themselves or with friends or family.But, just as we try to change the bad habits and addictions in the world we have to start with the children who need to learn moderation in all things and how to appreciate the good things and blessings in life. I think there is a proper time and place for wine and that the proper use of it certainly isn't wrong and if children are taught that from early on alcoholism wouldn't be the problem it is today. I don't think childen need to be served alcohol at too young of an age but, certainly a good parent will know the appropriate time. I think it is amazing how much of the parents rights are being taken away because of some who abuse their children. I think parents need to take back their right to properly teach their own children so the will not be ignorant or misinformed when they become adults . I don't expect that many will agree with me, but this is my own opinion. my children aren't alcoholics and as adults know how to be responsible when consuming alcohol. Education starts in the home.
Miss B at 2:36PM on May 3rd 2008
14. I don't find this woman to be "off her rocker" at all. There's nothing wrong with learning moderation from a young age; similar to how parents tell their children not to eat too many sweets, the same can be said for alcohol as well. Besides, it's not like this woman is letting her five year old get drunk - there is a large difference between a taste of wine and a full glass (or a full bottle, for that matter).
This practice is extremely common in Europe, as many families let their children have a glass of wine with dinner starting at about 8. Drinking is much less taboo for young people there, as it is learned from an early age how to moderate, and the "coolness" factor is dropped significantly due to its early exposure. Interestingly enough, Europe also has a far lower rate of alcoholism and binge drinking.
Besides...a sip of wine is not a gateway to hard drugs. Just putting that out there.
Michelle at 2:57PM on May 3rd 2008
15. My parents never allowed me to drink and I was still very nervous about drinking around them even after I turned 21. Even though my mom drank on the weekends and my dad has a 6 pack every night since he was 18 probably. Now I binge when ever I can, because I still see it as a privilege
Sack_of_Jawehas at 3:35PM on May 3rd 2008