by Barbara Stanley

Created on: July 13, 2010

Should a parent allow her child to drink alcohol from her glass? Would a parent allow his child to sample a small bit of cocaine or methamphetamine? For what good reason would a mother or father give their child a small amount of poison?

Most people see alcohol as fairly harmless. People who grew up with alcoholic parents know this is not true. What a parent might believe is a small amount of alcohol is actually enough to have an effect on a developing brain. Doctors warn pregnant women about drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The risk of giving birth to a baby with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is extremely high.

Although alcoholism tends to run in families, there is no way to know for certain who will or will not become an alcoholic. A child who sips from a parent's glass may become the adult who is addicted to alcohol. What parent could do this in good conscience? The reasons that adults drink include making them feel relaxed and uninhibited; they like the taste of alcohol; it relieves them of pain, sadness, depression, or heartbreak. These become the same reasons children ask for a sip of alcohol from a parent's glass.

Parents who drink frequently in the presence of their children and who offer sips of their alcohol to them, are sending a message that can have devastating effects on a child's life. Giving permission to drink encourages a child to drink. If the child enjoys the way alcohol makes him feel, he will continue to pursue any avenue to obtain more alcohol.

Allowing sips of a drink with alcohol is giving permission to the child to drink. Even if a parent tells the child, "it is only this one time," or "you can only drink when I say you can", the child has still received the message that alcohol is a good drink for adults.

Several child actors have testified that they began drinking from a parent's glass, then went on to become alcoholics by the time they reached puberty. Of course, this will not happen to every child, but why would any parent take that risk? Giving children alcohol is not amusing to watch as the child begins to show symptoms of someone who is drunk. It is not a responsible thing to do as a parent.

Children depend upon their parents to protect them and to keep them out of harm's way. The child does not know the dangers of alcohol. He is not old enough, nor does he have the knowledge to make a decision concerning alcoholic beverages. What he does know is that his parents drink and they allow him to 'drink a little', too. Therefore, drinking is okay because it has a parent's seal of approval.

Maybe your child will not like the taste and never ask for another sip. Maybe he will truly enjoy the way alcohol makes him feel. There are many "maybe" scenarios. Whatever the situation is with your child, it is irresponsible to give her an intoxicating drink. It is also illegal to do so. There is a legal age for consuming alcohol for a good reason. A person must be old enough to weigh the facts of alcohol and its lasting effects on the brain and the body.

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