I saw this article today on cnn.com titled "Is underage drinking ever OK?" and it starts off with a story about a father and off to college 18 year old son and how they have a beer together, kinda like a first time thing between father and son. The article discusses several other parents' approaches to their children growing up. So I started thinking of my own childhood...
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/02/living/labor-day-underage-drinking/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
My parents are Italian born and I'm first generation of my family to be born in this country. My dad says when he grew up, Italy had no drinking laws and he never thought to control/limit alcohol to his children. I can remember partaking in wine (mixed with some water) as a child (I'd estimate 5-7 years old) during family dinner. As I got older, my dad let me try some liquor he would have as an after dinner drink. When I was a teenager Dad and I would drink beer while watching TV. He was raised the same way and didn;t think twice about letting me drink, as long as it was responsibly. Dad never drank to excess and looked down on drunkards as lowlives. I never ever saw him drunk and he would never even drink to excess during holidays etc... Now that I think about it, espresso and coffee was the only forbidden substance when I was a kid; my parents said it would stunt my growth and wasn't good for kids. Lol...
All my life, I thought it was kinda strange how wide-eyed my friends were when I mentioned my dad and I drinking together. I can't even count how much shit I got from buddies. They all knew my dad had a sizeable liquor cabinet at home but I always refused to gice them access to it. When I visited friends' houses, their parents kept the liquor cabinet practically under lock and key and there were never any beers in the fridge. Some houses had a special fridge for dad's beer, usually in the garage and the kids were taught it was off limits to them.
Growing up this way I never saw the allure of alcohol or felt the need to binge drink. Sure I got drunk a few times in high school and more than a few times in college. I just never had the "thirst" or craziness for alcohol that other people in my age group did and I never had to sneak around my parents. One thing I found was that all the guys who were the craziest for alcohol either had alcoholism in their family or parents denied them alcohol on basis of legality. My dad thought the law was stupid and said in his house it was his rules. He only cautioned me about friends of mine raiding his liquor cabinet when they visited home and he flat out forbade me to have parties at home where minors would be drinking, presumably out of liability issues.
Anyone else grow up this way? How was alcohol handled in your house? How long did it take before you could comfortably drink with your parents? Do any parents here raise their children with free but responsible access to alcohol? Did it work out for you and your kids?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/02/living/labor-day-underage-drinking/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
My parents are Italian born and I'm first generation of my family to be born in this country. My dad says when he grew up, Italy had no drinking laws and he never thought to control/limit alcohol to his children. I can remember partaking in wine (mixed with some water) as a child (I'd estimate 5-7 years old) during family dinner. As I got older, my dad let me try some liquor he would have as an after dinner drink. When I was a teenager Dad and I would drink beer while watching TV. He was raised the same way and didn;t think twice about letting me drink, as long as it was responsibly. Dad never drank to excess and looked down on drunkards as lowlives. I never ever saw him drunk and he would never even drink to excess during holidays etc... Now that I think about it, espresso and coffee was the only forbidden substance when I was a kid; my parents said it would stunt my growth and wasn't good for kids. Lol...
All my life, I thought it was kinda strange how wide-eyed my friends were when I mentioned my dad and I drinking together. I can't even count how much shit I got from buddies. They all knew my dad had a sizeable liquor cabinet at home but I always refused to gice them access to it. When I visited friends' houses, their parents kept the liquor cabinet practically under lock and key and there were never any beers in the fridge. Some houses had a special fridge for dad's beer, usually in the garage and the kids were taught it was off limits to them.
Growing up this way I never saw the allure of alcohol or felt the need to binge drink. Sure I got drunk a few times in high school and more than a few times in college. I just never had the "thirst" or craziness for alcohol that other people in my age group did and I never had to sneak around my parents. One thing I found was that all the guys who were the craziest for alcohol either had alcoholism in their family or parents denied them alcohol on basis of legality. My dad thought the law was stupid and said in his house it was his rules. He only cautioned me about friends of mine raiding his liquor cabinet when they visited home and he flat out forbade me to have parties at home where minors would be drinking, presumably out of liability issues.
Anyone else grow up this way? How was alcohol handled in your house? How long did it take before you could comfortably drink with your parents? Do any parents here raise their children with free but responsible access to alcohol? Did it work out for you and your kids?
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