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RSS FeedShould parents teach children how to drink alcohol responsibly or maintain a no-use policy at home?
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| At home | 53% | 625 votes | Total: 1174 votes | |
| No-use | 47% | 549 votes |
At home
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Add to FavoritesThere are many reasons parents should teach their children to drink responsibly in their homes. The first being that the parental no-use policy often results in young people abusing alcohol when they experiment with their friends in high school and college. Children who have not been taught how to drink and handle alcohol in their home are placed unnecessarily in positions that can become dangerous to their welfare.
The most obvious is the danger to themselves and others when they drive under the influence of alcohol or enter a vehicle driven by someone who has been drinking. Children, who have been exposed at an early age to the idea that when alcohol is consumed a designated driver who does not drink during the event must be selected to drive the group homea, are clearly safer than young people who are first told to do it at the time of an event that may include alcohol.
If a child does not receive instruction from parents regarding the changes in behavior that may be exhibited by individuals who are under the influence of alcohol, they may be placed in positions detrimental to their wellbeing. In a home where parents serve alcohol in appropriate ways, these subjects are easier to bring up in the normal course of events, rather than a lecture before an event. It is very important to understand that personal behavior changes with drinking; such as, alcohol consumption may encourage a greater degree of laughter and generally merry behavior. Or that excess drinking may cause drowsiness and allow individuals to let down normal behavior guards and behave in activities that they would not participate in if they were sober.
When young people observe alcohol used in their home in an appropriate, social manner they do not feel the need to use alcohol consumption as a sign of "growing up". It does not carry that mystic feeling of freedom that it does for those children who have not learned how to use alcohol in an appropriate manner in their own homes.
Another important consideration is that parents who serve wine with meals are also parents who are teaching their children how to savor the dinning experience. Red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat is common knowledge in many families, unfortunately these families are most often from the upper classes. These children are more likely to grow up with a cosmopolitan appreciation of the art of eating. American young people are exposed to bad eating habits from an early age. If they have parents who serve wine with their Sunday dinners and invite family and friends to share the meal, they also are learning the art of conversation over a well prepared dinner, which is a fading talent in our fast food world. The positive benefits of child rearing with responsible alcohol consumption are many, the negative effects of trying to control a young persons activities by simply saying you can't do it are manifested every year in the deaths of high school graduates who are out partying and drinking without understanding how to appropriately use alcohol.
Learn more about this author, Cindy Kessler.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No-use
While I can gather the idea that it is probably not conceivable that your child will never pick up a bottle of alcohol with their friends, as saddening to the heart as that may be it is usually true. Most people took their first drink, when they were in high-school, and in todays world that age gets younger and younger.
The question is weather or not you should teach your child to be a so called safe drinker, by drinking at home. That to me is, by no means feasible, it's outrageous to say the least. I know that a parents worst nightmare is having your child mixed up with drugs and alcohol, while at a friends house or wherever the party might be. Take a moment and think about it; by allowing your child to drink at home, you would not only be giving your child a one way ticket to alcoholism, by making them feel as if it's fine as long as you are in a safe place, but also would be contributing to the nightmare of the other parents. Kids don't drink alone in the quiet calm setting of their own home, they drink with their friends. Could you allow them to join you son/daughter in the festivities?
I empathize with those who may think it would be better, I can see the pros to this action. Yet, as a parent your first and foremost important role in you child's life is to be the one to teach them why NOT to drink alcohol, or do drugs. You should be the one person they can come to and talk to you about these things, but at no time in their fragile lives should you condone it!
I believe that, we as parents should teach them the consequences of their actions, by explaining the terrifying things that can happen to them while they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It's our responsibility to teach them without sugar coating anything, just how serious it is!
While I believe that it is also impossible to assure you that you son/daughter will never drink, if you explain how dangerous it is, I do want to assure you that it would be better to be there for them when they need you, but don't be the back bone of their mistakes, by teaching them that it is alright to drink.
Deal with it a different way, say to them things like:
"Remember, that is important to be able to like yourself tomorrow."
"Don't do anything that you might regret later."
"If you can't see straight, it's time to drink some coffee."
"Please don't drink, you can get hurt."
"Tell everyone who pressures you that you're driving everyone home, here take the car. But if you're too drunk to drive, call me I'll come get you. I won't be mad, I'll actually be glad you were smart about it."
"You'll want to remember what you did last night, so if you can't stand up, stop drinking and get some coffee."
"If you drive drunk you can kill someone, and ruin their whole family."
"Think about your friends, you don't want them to die in an accident, because you were driving drunk."
"People put things in your drinks now, that make you totally unaware of what is going on, you'll wake up tomorrow, with no clothes on, not knowing exactly what happened. No one will believe you because you were drunk."
"Please, it's dangerous, don't do it."
I am aware that some of these statements are difficult to say; but they are true, you want your kids to understand that drinking is more than a ticket, or some very upset parents. Sometimes, when we think they aren't listening, the truth is they are. Trust them to make the right decisions; with the right information. Remember to be there when they need you, don't get angry and give them praise for doing the right thing.
Don't be more concerned with finding out and having the punishment in hand already! Just make them as aware as you can. Don't sugar coat the facts of the causes of alcohol use, and try to make it very clear that they are loved no matter what they do, and just be their backbone for when they do mess up.
Learn more about this author, Lara Everett.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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