appropriate drinking times...

TheBraveryLover

When I was younger and very inexperienced in life, I thought it was inappropriate to drink around children. I definitely don't think like that anymore. Like you said, having a drink or two and not acting sloppy is fine around kids, IMO.

I'm a bit more strict on my opinion of the time of day one should drink though.

pain_is_weakness

I don't judge what other people do but my husband and I always wait until our kids are in bed.

I just always have this fear that someone will get hurt and nobody will be able to drive to the hospital and then the ambulance and cops come into play and I just look like a ****bag parent.

I also wuld never let my kid drink until they were 21 or out of my house. I am old fashioned and I just believe that laws are there for a reason, I respect that always.

Also, when i drink i want to kick back and relax, my kids don't allow for that too often lmao

_Ben

I always felt it was important (if you are a family that does drink) to allow your kids to see you drink. Maybe not at a super young age, but from teenage on. It allows them to see that drinking can be done resposibly, and isnt all about going buck wild and binge drinking

i_love_vinegar

i dont think it is a big deal, as long as you are drinking in moderation.

my mom doesnt drink much, but when she did, it was around me. You dont want to make alcohol the forbidden fruit.

darlilama

I grew up around alcohol, and when I became old enough, allowed to taste it. At the age of 16, everyone in my family is given the occasional glass of wine at dinner. Seeing my family drink responsibly and never lose control and being introduced to the substance in a very healthy way, I never, ever felt the need to go through the 'party and get f-ed up' phase of life, and I am 21. I think its good to expose your family to some things, over sheltering never works- ask my crazy party friends what happened when they went off to college and escaped their alcohol-and-drug-free homes.

Sensible parenting. Moderation is the key!

sunkisses

I think that teaching and talking about things; de-mystifying things is the best choice. So if you do it in front of them, do it responsibly. Don't make it out to be a bad thing. They will eventually try it themselves. I just hope my lessons 'took' and he will be an adult about it.

This. I'm in the demystifying camp. I've noticed that in the US this is a big issue. My friends from other countries grew up with alcohol as an adult drink. They were sent to the store to buy their parent(s) a beer now and then. It just kind of illustrates that kids were desensitized to alcohol to the point that adults trusted them to handle it. They had tasted it, found it wasn't all that great, and waited until they were a little older to try it again. That's how I've handled my kids. I drink with them around. They're allowed a sip to taste something different. They still don't care for it and wonder why I bother drinking it.