Parents, Should You Drink with Your Teens?
I’ve been doing a little research lately on the subject of teen drinking and drug addiction because my son, who is 24, is currently in rehab due to his addictions. I came across this article which, though a little old, has some good points in the article as well as in the comments.
One of the points raised by several of the commentors is that providing alcohol to a minor is illegal. Good point and I agree. I don’t believe you should teach your children to break the law just to prove a point. It teaches them that they don’t have to listen to authority or law makers and that rules are meant to be broken.
Another great point about this is, as a parent you don’t know if you’re teen is going to have an addiction problem or not. Chances are if there is any alcoholism or addiction issues anywhere in your family, you and your children are going to have them as well.
My son’s father is an addict though he refuses to admit it. Not only did he drink with my children, specifically my sons, he also smokes marijuana with them and who knows what else. I’m sorry, but what kind of example is that for your children?! All that teaches is that it’s okay to “mask your problems” or “make the pain go away” by being high or drunk. But I digress.
One of the arguments, as pointed out in the article, is that drinking with your kids may help them to not want to go out and party or experiment with alcohol on their own. Really? Does it? I don’t think so, especially if they are prone to addiction as you can see in the example of my ex-husband and my son. And like I mentioned above, you don’t know if your child is going to have addiction issues or not, therefore giving them that first drink may be like feeding poison to them and you don’t even realize it.
So, my stance on the issue is no, I do not think that parents should drink with their kids. What do you think? What personal experiences have you had on this issue?
Looking for help with your teen? Visit My Out Of Control Teen – an online parent-program for those who are struggling with their teenagers.
Now modeling good drinking habits might be okay. The two keys would be the parents’ own moderate drinking habits and a good relationship with their teens. This would be drinking in front of you children when they are below the legal age and drinking with once they are old enough.
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