Should You Let Your Kids “Taste” Alcohol? Read This Before You Grab the Corkscrew by Joy Stephenson-Laws JD

Parenting Teens
5 years ago

Should You Let Your Kids “Taste” Alcohol? Read This Before You Grab the Corkscrew

Many parents may think it is a good idea to let their children’s first drinking experience be with them. As a result, they will allow their kids to drink alcohol in a more controlled environment, as opposed to a party without adult supervision where there will likely be a lot of binge drinking. This way children will have the knowledge to drink wisely and responsibly as they go through high school, college and young adult life.

But according to recent research, letting your kids sip and taste alcohol may promote risky behavior! Lead author of the research, psychologist Craig Colder, said that “early sipping and tasting is predicting increased drinking behavior in young adulthood."

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, so let’s be proactive and have an open dialogue with our children about the consequences of addiction and binge drinking. This may be a much better route than simply saying: “Well, they’re going to do it anyway. May as well let them do it under our watch.”

You may find that your kids actually appreciate you speaking with them and that they will take your advice and guidance to heart.

Read more about parents supplying their kids with alcohol via ABCNews and get more information at phlabs.com.

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Mike Prochaska
I still remember being a kid and drinking my dads gin and tonics thinking it was firewater
Elisa Schmitz
This is so interesting! In Europe, they let kids drink at younger ages, which supposedly makes it less of a big deal, less binge drinking, etc. I wasn’t one to let kids sip alcohol with me or let kids drink at home. That said, I also didn’t want them to binge once they left home. Such a delicate balance to strike. Thanks for the great tip, Joy Stephenson-Laws JD !
Dawn Taylor
I only let my sons have a small drink- maybe half of a beer when they hit about aged 18 and once or twice - thanksgiving or christmas- let's be real they are drinking somewhere but I would never purchase alcohol for them for a night out and don't condone promoting heavy drinking so I am careful to talk about these things often and don't drink a lot myself. In the end, they will try what they are going to try and you can just keep communication going and hope for the best :)

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