How can I explain "adult beverages" to my preteen?
We don't tend to drink much alcohol in our household; I occasionally drink a beer in the evening after the children are in bed or when my wife and I have a date night. So my preteen son doesn't have a ton of exposure to adult beverages besides the commercials on TV sporting events. My goal is to help my children form moderate attitudes toward drinking. To me, that means:
Having a healthy respect for the potent dangers of drinking—especially before reaching physical and mental maturity.
Having a non-judgmental attitude toward people who drink.
Judging from my own childhood, threading the needle between these two points of view is tricky. If you have managed to accomplish that feat, what did you do?
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This is a good question. Well, what I think is you should present 'drink' as a 'drink' and not addiction. A thick line should be drawn between what is drinking as a custom/fun and drinking as a habit. The difference between 'drinking' and 'binge drinking'
You may show both the sides of drinking - drinking as a custom that brings people together in any celebration or parties and binge drinking that makes a person toper resulting into weird behavior, isolation and top of all deadly health issues those are irreversible.
The only key making the preteen understand this is the difference between drinking as a part of culture/ritual/custom and drinking as a habit as a result of craving. Having this conveyed, he'll understand the nuance which actually makes a big difference in one's life.
I wouldn't worry about it until it comes up. Lots of people, especially people who don't drink or who don't drink much, feel they have to 'normalize' alcohol to their children. But many, many people don't drink. Although some aspects of adult society make us think we have to justify the decision not to drink. in fact there is no justification needed for not doing something, only for doing something.
It is perfectly fine for your child to grow up assuming that not drinking is a norm, just the same as vegetarian children don't need to be 'exposed' to meat. I guarantee that before your child is of an age to drink, they will have witnessed at least one occasion of adults drinking in a 'normal', social way, and at least one occasion of dangerous, reckless or irresponsible drinking. When these happen, they will ask you, and you can tell them about alcohol.
personally. I would be upfront and honest, too much alcohol is bad. Occasionally it's good for adults to drink. My daughter and I also share a love for the Historic aspects of why something was invented and why something is important.
I haven't spoke to her about alcohol yet, but i will be sure to mention that it was created 1000's of years ago, and it is seemingly the most important human invention ... (Article 2) ... (article 3) (as long as it's not overdone).
My wife nor i drink alcohol much either ~ but it is something i don't want to demonize, i don't want her to think it's something worse than it is, and i don't want her to think it's something spectacular.
When in doubt; go with the truth.
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