[dadathome]

IMO alcohol should only be a very occasional indulgence on very special occasions. This does not mean school events (and certainly not dinner every night as some people have suggested!)

Why?

[BadCat]

I don't mean they view it as something that is consumed regularly. I don't drink it at all, as I have said before, and DH has maybe half a dozen drinks a year.

I mean they don't consider it to be either a demon or a necessity. It's just something that some adults drink and not a big deal either way. I think that is as it should be. And I believe that making a big deal of it is only going to encourage them to get into it. Tell them they can't have it, they'll want it more. It's one of the guiding principles of advertising.

[Julie3Girls]

IMO, I think that is sad, once people, especially children, start viewing alcohol as normal. This is part of the reason I object to alcohol being served at school functions. Alcohol, IMO, should not be viewed as a normal part of life, or indeed even a normal part of social occassions.

If you were talking about seeing excessive drinking, people getting wiped out drunk ... yes, seeing that as normal would be very wrong.

But I don't there is a problem with the occasional glass of wine being viewed as normal.

I like the idea that children would see it is as normal to only have one or two drinks, rather than seeing people drinking excessively on special occasions.

And if a parent doesn't drink, isn't possibly a good thing for the children to see that even in a social situation where people ARE allowed to drink, that some people choose not to drink and still enjoy themselves?

[Livsh]

Ahh EB...thank god for the minority voices of reason on here! I only got to page 14 before I had a huge headache from rolling my eyes at all the predictions of horrific events that would ensue following the major breakdown of society caused by a couple of parents having a sip of a legal substance!

If I've said it once I've said it a hundred times, where is the bloody hitting head against wall emoticon!

I am deeply horrified to learn that, in addition to having to attend bloody school functions, it would be considered morally wrong, nay BULLYING to do so while sh*tfaced! If only someone had told me this before I had kids!

To the OP...in the situation you described, no I wouldn't blink an eye!

[SofaSpud]

I don't mean they view it as something that is consumed regularly. I don't drink it at all, as I have said before, and DH has maybe half a dozen drinks a year.

I mean they don't consider it to be either a demon or a necessity. It's just something that some adults drink and not a big deal either way. I think that is as it should be. And I believe that making a big deal of it is only going to encourage them to get into it. Tell them they can't have it, they'll want it more. It's one of the guiding principles of advertising.

Well said! FWIW, I think you have had the most sensible posts on the thread.

[RobotFerretOfDoo...]

If I've said it once I've said it a hundred times, where is the bloody hitting head against wall emoticon!

Here ya go




Save it and keep it handy. I find it comes in useful quite regularly.

[Jemstar]

Gosh, I hope a lot of people in this thread don't ever visit Europe if they don't want their children to be offended by drinking wine with dinner every night, well, pretty much everywhere!

I feel like I have somehow woken up in conservative Midwest America. Broad generalization I know, but the OTT conservative reactions to people drinking responsibly in this thread have been somewhat mind-blowing.

[Jane Jetson]

If someone is exhibiting typical alcoholic behaviour, that is their problem for doing so, not mine for pointing it out.

If you were actually pointing out typical alcoholic behaviour, it would be more understandable. However, you are equating an occasional single glass of wine on a social occasion with rampant alcoholism. You clearly don't understand what typical alcoholic behaviour actually is, which is why your comments are being refuted.

[Livsh]

Here ya go




Save it and keep it handy. I find it comes in useful quite regularly.

My hero!!!

[Bubble11]

I think it's good for kids to see parents having the occasional drink, social or even just a glass with dinner every night. I rarely drink, a single drink on the weekend unless we're socialising, but our IL's have a glass of wine most nights and none of their kids are problem drinkers. I think the problem in Australia is that kids see the other kind of drinking or they see alcohol as something 'special and forbidden'. If they see adults just having a relaxed drink or two that should form good patterns, it's seeing alchohol as banned or something to get p****d on that's the problem.

I didn't hit the quote before I got in here, but this is from a PP and I agree 'I like the idea that children would see it is as normal to only have one or two drinks, rather than seeing people drinking excessively on special occasions". It's a culture of getting drunk, not a culture of having a relaxed drink or two occasionally that's a problem.