Alcohol Awareness, The Mother Style

Do your schools do the big Scare ‘Em Sober shows prior to Prom time? Around here, they put on this huge production at the county fairground, with car crashes, EMS, Lifeflight and the whole bit – bring all the high school kids from all 7 of our districts and make them sit in the grandstand while they put on a “lifelike” version of Teens Who Don’t Think Before They Drink. I’m not sure what’s dumber – that, or the crying “THIS Will Make You Think About Parenting Responsibilities” /baby/ that teenagers sometimes bring to church and the local Walmart. I’ve seen an awful lot of pregnant teenagers around here – maybe they hadn’t taken their turn at mothering the Ugly Plastic Chucky yet.

Our attitudes towards alcohol here are so weird. And we have so much trouble with drunk driving.

We drink wine with dinner quite often, too. But if we ever have a little extra, it’s only after the kids are in bed. I do that every now & then. But not too often because I really don’t like the effects.

Hubby likes a nice Scotch, too, but I can’t stand it. It’s like drink bug spray.

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I think you’re setting an excellent example of moderation. My kids know I drink, and they know I’m a responsible adult. If I hid it from them, they’d think it was something shameful and wrong.

What I hate are the DARE lectures. My kids come home all brainwashed, and not necessarily with accurate info. I don’t want my kids to think that all drugs are the same, as far as risk, health effects, and addiction potential are concerned. I think the whole “gateway drug” idea is BS. Kids need to know that some drugs are potentially harmful in excess, some are illegal, and others are deadly. My husband said that he had no idea what marijuana was before he was “introduced” to it at a school ‘safety’ lecture.

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I drink wine in front of my kids sometimes and I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’m not getting blasted drunk or anything. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to keep our kids away from drinking alcohol…and I think the more we forbid it, the more they want to try it. I like the open, honest approach better.

I love that you have such open communication with your kids. My sister is going through a really rough time because her teenage son has moved out of her home and has gone to live with his dad….he refuses to speak to my sister and won’t even return her phone calls. I’ve been telling her all along if she had open, honest conversations with him she may be able to get things back on track but she still sits on her high and mighty throne thinking it’s her way or the highway. It’s really too bad.

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I’n with Stepiphany on the DARE thing. We’ve got a DARE calendar hanging on the fridge right now because it makes me laugh. Per DARE, I not only do drugs, I push them, too (e.g., “would you like a glass of wine?” I’ll say to our company)).

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I drink wine in front of my children and I’m not ashamed of that. They need to see that alcohol can be consumed in moderation. Although they keep calling it “juice,” so clearly they’re too young to get the message.

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My oldest daughter, unfortunately, is too dumb to drink. And I say this in the most loving way. Last year (sixth grade) kids were bringing alcohol to school. She decided to play along. She didn’t have a water bottle like the other kids. She put her alcohol IN A BAGGIE. Which leaked on the way to the bus. (So she said.) The whole incident was the beginning of why her nickname, BS, doesn’t *just* stand for Big Sister. Love your lesson! We’re going to have to come up with something super-creative to get through to her.

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We were allowed to drink at the cabin when were about 15 or so. A beer not a keg. We were allowed to continue having a beer at the cabin as long as we were not driving. We were served wine with Sunday dinner as well. My parents had cocktail hour where they consumed as many Manhattans as they could in that hour. I never saw my parents with a hangover. We were also allowed to self administer medications at a fairly early age. Of course I was in charge of my mother’s pills when I was a child so it only made sense.

I drink in front of my kids even though my first ex was dead set against it since his parents never drank in front of him. Guess who has the DUI and who doesn’t. I allow my 16yo the same beer at the same cabin but only if he is not planning on driving that day. One beer would have little effect on him at 240lbs but its the responsibility I am trying to teach not the ability to try and gauge your drunkeness.

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My son see’s me drink my glass of Chardonnay every night. He also see’s that I won’t drink a drop of alcohol if I am going to drive within 4 hours. Parental actions speak loudly.

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I think you’ve got the right idea. I think especially with teenagers, demystifying alcohol and teaching them there is a responsible way to drink is key in keeping them from “abusing” it. We keep beer in the house but rarely drink it, my kids are aware of alcohol, but we do keep our sense of humor about it. So far my ten year old understands that drunk people are really fun to mess with. It’s a start…

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My kids’ favourite uncle is an alcoholic and they have seen him drunk. They understand and are aware of the effects of alcohol.

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My oldest is only in the 2nd grade, but they still have an alcohol/drug awareness week. (Which I hate.) Of course then we get lectures from a 7-year-old on why mommy and daddy should not drink beer (as we pop open a bottle on a hot sunny day). She doesn’t even know what it is. I totally agree that education and open communication is key, but how to talk to a 7-yr-old who thinks she knows everything, yet thinks root beer is alcohol?

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I think hiding and avoiding these kinds of conversations only promotes abuse. Just look at my state, OK. Teaching abstinence and nothing else to your kids is the most popular choice for parents when they teach kids about sex here. Last time I checked, OK has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the US. Yeah, poor education about various subjects as a precaution…that works!lol

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I’m going to reluctantly admit that drinking age when I was in college was 18. I don’t remember any alcohol poisoning deaths. We did some irresponsible drinking back in the day but it was short lived.
We model drinking in moderation and try to teach our teens responsible drinking at home, among our family where there is no driving. Except for the occasional special gathering I try not to glamorize it either, just keep a healthy balanced attitude about it.

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