In ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT / Tags: alcohol, children, drink, front /
Question by Em: Do you drink alcohol in front of your children?
Yes- inspired by another question/answer.
I’m not asking if you think it’s okay to get wasted and binge drink in front of your children or abuse alcohol (That’s obvious), I am asking if it is okay to consume alcohol casually (in your own home, in social settings etc) in front of your children.
So glad to see so many people like me- I consume alcoholic beverages fairly regularly after working my butt off all day, and I don’t give it a second thought if my kids see me- They know it’s not for them- it’s for me!
No biggie Charm, no harm done 
Deans- That’s exactly my thought process. I work hard all day, then come home, make dinner, run around after my daughter, get her ready for bed etc…when it’s all said and done- sometimes I need that Vodka, Sprite and Cranberry
My sister once told me of a quote- “Sometimes a glass of wine makes me a better Mommy,” Now- I’m not suggesting alcohol makes me better able to take care of my children- but I firmly believe that sometimes it will help me calm down and relax enough that I’m not driven absolutely crazy by them
KM&G- I get so many weird looks for order big fruity margarita’s when out with my husband and kids. It just makes me enjoy it more
Thumbs down aren’t from me- I respect Everybody’s Opinion.
Best answer:
Answer by I R PRO
Well just to thwart your view for a little, a new idea that is emerging is that of the whitehole. This proposed “whitehole” would essentially be a reverse blackhole, which sucks matter from other universes and throws it into our own universe (in the form of a blackhole of course), Although this gets somewhat complex as it relates to string theory.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
38 ResponsesLeave a comment ?
I do drink alcohol in front of my daughter. (Light, social or ritual drinking only.)
Yes. I want them to know the proper way to drink alcohol.
ETA: I don’t drink what I R Pro is having BTW, just a drink here and there. ; )
A glass of wine with dinner type thing should be fine.
Yes, I do. In fact if you choose to drink it’s better to model responsible drinking than to hide the fact that you do (imo)
Charm: All the parents (myself included) I know, have let their children have a sip. No harm no foul. They usually hate it and that’s the end of it.
Yes, I drink in front of my 2yo occasionally.
yup. they know it’s an adult drink. we have plenty of other beverages in the house so it’s not like they feel like they missed out on something. i’m also not getting hammered or playing beer pong against them.
I think it’s fine. I believe it actually helps them to learn the responsible way to handle alcohol if they choose to drink later in life. My husband and I will have a beer in the evenings maybe once a week just to relax. We are no where near drunk and my children usually don’t even notice we have them. I think it’s fine as long as you don’t get drunk.
Yes. *gasp*
My husband and I often drink a beer or two after supper. A lot of times it’s before my son is in bed for the night. On the weekends, it’s not uncommon for my husband to have a few in the afternoon.
And we often order alcohol in restaurants and when we’re with friends or our parents. I had a marg with my mom the other day at a Mexican restaurant.
Yes, my husband will have a beer in front of our son, and I might have a glass of wine. As long as i am not giving him any, I see no harm in it. My dad used to smoke in front of us, and in the car with the window rolled up with the heater on in winter, that i feel is horrible!
No, I don’t.
Yes just a few beers about twice a year. Rather do something else with my time
I don’t but when I was with my child’s father and he would come home from work he would occasionally have a beer or two around her. She was 2 and would ask for some of daddy’s juice. Of course he would serve her water or juice or milk and explain to her that she couldn’t have some of “daddy’s juice” because it was only for grown ups. I didn’t really like him doing it but didn’t feel it was something worth arguing about. He wouldn’t get drunk or anything, it was just a beer.
Yes, I do.
ETA: Within reason, and I model good habits. It has given me the opportunity to stress that they are not to dink until they are 21 because it is against the law (hey, I can hope, can’t I?) and that they must also be careful because alcohol can make them very sick if they drink too much or if they are too young.
Yes, I think it’s good to model acceptable alcohol consumption in front of them. My parents always drank but were never drunk in front of me and when I reached drinking age I realized there was more to social drinking than simply getting drunk.
I have drank alcohol three times in front of him. Once at a BBQ at my house with some friends (I was at home, so I wasn’t driving), and twice while we were on vacation at the beach (drank at the hotel restaurant we were staying at).
I think it’s ok..in moderation. It’s not always good to shelter your kids from everything…just make sure to be responsible when you’re drinking (at home or in a social setting) when your kids are around.
Yes, ive had beer around my son before..
It shows responsible drinking imo. How you can enjoy a couple beers and not get drunk and stupid.
I don’t but I think an occasional beer, a glass of wine with dinner, things like that are fine. I can even see someone getting a little tipsy. Just as long as you or another adult is at home and sober in case something comes up.
As a rule, I don’t really drink. I had a glass of wine at Christmas dinner. My daughter wanted to taste it. She had a sip, hated it, and we went back to eating. Other than that, I don’t drink.
And for everyone who chooses to jump on my head for letting my, at the time, 7-year-old drink wine, it is easier, and less annoying to let her try it and decide that she hates it, than listen to her pout and complain about wanting to taste it for the next half hour.
Not currently because I’m pregnant. But yes, I occasionally have a beer or glass of wine with dinner or in the evening. I grew up with parents who very casually drank, not often, and not in excess. As a teacher I believe that education and exposure are important. I do not have a problem with my children choosing to have a drink when they are a legal age. I choose to teach them to consume alcohol properly and safely. It’s not something, in my opinion, that needs to be secret, or hidden. If I hide it from them, how can I blame them if when they’re older they hide it from me.
Yes, I do, but I rarely drink at all.
Yes, in appropriate quantities and for appropriate occasions. I am a single mom, have two teenagers, and I don’t keep alcohol in the house (they don’t drink, but some of their friends might!). If we’re having company for dinner, I might buy a bottle of wine. I’ll enjoy a glass on one of these occasions, and use any leftovers for cooking wine. I do NOT drink alone (when we have no company). My kids have learned that alcohol is something to be enjoyed in moderation on special occasions.
yes, i don’t see a problem with it.
No but i dont drink…I have no problems with her granny drinking her wine in front of her or her dad having a beer in front of her.
Yes. Do I get wasted/drunk? Absolutely not. On rare occasions I’ll have a glass of wine for diner but I’m simply not a drinking type of person. My husband and I have a rule about never drinking around our kids unless both of us are there (and one of us is alcohol free, kind of like the designated driver thing).
yes, this is the real world not la la land
yes, a few times a week I will have something alcoholic…so will my husband. Actually, I enjoy it much more now that I have kids. It really calms me and makes me a happier person after running around after them all day.
*wine makes the heart of mortal man rejoice*…so true
Yes… at least their father does. I don’t drink. It’s good for children to see what responsible drinking looks like from a young age, and to be made aware that it is an adult drink. It makes them less likely to turn into binge drinkers later in life. My parents drank in front of my sister and I. My sister is a responsible drinker to this day… I don’t drink at all.
Yup. I’m a grown-up. I am past the age of 21. I am responsible. And, if I choose to have a drink or two, it is my right to do so.
There are lots of things that I can do that my kids can’t.
I’m not a parent (as you know, Em!), but my parents never drank in front of me. It definitely did not influence me in any way. I drank as a teenager and I still drink now (though not on a regular basis at all). My point being, I don’t think it’s going to influence your kid unless you get completely wasted in front of them. Also, never drink and drive in front of your kids – they can use it for ammo when you bust them for it 10 years later.
There is nothing wrong with drinking in front of your children. Shooting heroin, however, is another matter.
I do have a few drinks with my daughter around..though I only drink on Friday or Saturday night. I do not drink on nights that I have to get up and go to work the next morning. My daughter sees me drinking and knows that it’s daddy’s “special drink” She does not ask question or ask to have any.
Charm – would be kind of funny if she liked the wine and didn’t want to give the glass back….I can picture it now…lol
Sure. As long as I’m not getting smashed I don’t see the problem. And like Charm, I’ve let him have sips of my drink before if he asked and guess what – kids don’t LIKE the taste of alcohol!
I don’t smoke around him or even in the house but that’s for a different reason (I don’t want him breathing in my smoke)
I LOVE this question, because I have a lot to say about it.
First, I’ll answer it (lol). Yes I drink infront of my son (almost 4). I only drink two-three times a month, which is more because thats just how often I chose to drink, not because I think its bad for him to see me drink. My fiance doesn’t drink at all, because he just doesn’t like it, I never get trashed infront of my son, I admit I have on occasion gotten a little tipsy though. I never drink when I’m alone with him, for fear that an emergency might arise. I dont drink and drive anyway, but especially not with him.
Oh, and I am Em’s sis, who once quoted “Sometimes having a glass of wine makes me a better mommy” and I’m glad she explained…. Obviously if my son falls out of a tree, I’m not gonna say “hang on buddy” and go chug some adult beverages to become supermom and take care of the problem. But there are days where I’m freakin worn out, been on the go with a 3 year old all day long, and need to unwind. And honestly, on a day like that, come 6:00 when I sit down to relax. After a drink, I am much more likely to get down on the floor and play lego’s/cars/lions etc.
Okay, and lastly- I believe there are many benefits to drinking responsibly in front of your children. First off, my parents did it when we were kids. 4-5 nights a week i’d say, they’d have the neighbors over, or we’d go to the neighbors house, and they would have some beers, and everyone would hangout. We were never taught “Oh my god alcohol, BAD” and we were never taught “Oh my god alcohol, AWESOME” We were simply friends with the neighbors kids, and we had a good time, the parents had a good time and that was that. We also had regular BBQ’s with our whole family and many family friends (and we still do), they hung out, had drinks cooked great food, and I personally learned a lot about the value of family, more than anything else. I also learned that its okay to have a few beers when you’re an adult. Its not okay to get trashed and act inappropriately. Now, me and my sis (em) get together from time to time and have a few drinks and hang out, and all the kids hang out and enjoy themselves. Its a good thing.
Yes I do.
no
I’m drinking everyday. but my child’s never have seen i’m having drinks, because of i never have drink in front of them. but obviously they might know some days my behaviors are abnormal.
No. My children are only 3 and 1!