Written by Jenny Catton
In some countries, it’s common for children to be allowed a little alcohol at home with their parent’s supervision, such as when enjoying a meal. But for parents in other countries, the thought of encouraging alcohol consumption, no matter how little, seems very irresponsible. So should parents allow their children to drink alcohol in the home?
Yes – Sean
Several studies have shown that children who are allowed to drink alcohol at home during meals are much less likely to binge drink later in life. This can be readily seen in countries such as France and Italy where children are offered wine with a meal and grow up to have a healthy attitude to alcohol. When you ban something completely it just makes it seem more appealing to children.
I would much rather my child’s first experience of alcohol is a moderate amount at a family gathering, than getting drunk with their friends at night in a local park. And let’s face it, teenagers everywhere drink underage whether we like it or not, so it’s better to deal with it rather than trying to pretend alcohol doesn’t exist.
Allowing your children to drink a little alcohol at home also gives you the opportunity to talk to them about safe alcohol consumption. You can explain the difference between wine and spirits, and the importance of not mixing drinks, or accepting drinks from strangers. If you don’t have these kinds of conversations, your kids will still drink but you won’t be there to guide them.
Once children have tried alcohol at home, the novelty quickly wears off and so they’re less likely to go out and get drunk with their friends.
No – Terri
Allowing children to drink in the home sends out the message that drinking underage is okay. This is bound to encourage children to drink more when they are with their friends and could lead them into serious trouble. Studies have shown that the children of parents that drink heavily are more likely to grow up to have an alcohol dependence themselves and so actively encouraging alcohol consumption in the home is incredibly irresponsible.
The age limits set by governments are there for a reason and that’s because young bodies are not designed to cope with the stresses caused by alcohol consumption. Even older teenagers’ brains and bodies are still developing and alcohol can cause serious health problems if children start drinking at a young age.
I’m sure no parent would want their child to be brought home by the police because they’ve been found drunk on the street but how can you possibly discipline your child for drinking outside the home if you allow it at home?
Many different countries are currently dealing with health problems caused by alcohol – even countries that have a supposed ‘healthy attitude’ to alcohol consumption. As a result more and more people are suffering from serious illnesses due to excessive drinking and anything we can do to prevent our children from developing bad habits has to be a good thing and that includes banning underage drinking in the home.
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