What Age Should Children Be When They're Allowed To Drink Alcohol At Family Meals?

[humbersloop]

Your thoughts?

[sebhfhion]

Daffy said // When they have it with every meal, or a bottle of wine every night then to me that signals they have a problem.//

Gosh Daffy you've just condemned most of Europe to being alcoholics. Do you really think having one glass of wine per night with a meal signals someone has a drink problem?

[factor-fiction]

I didn't read daffy's comment as meaning one glass a night- I read it a what she said : "having wine with every meal", which i took to mean lunchtimes too and maybe several glasses

[sebhfhion]

All my family and extended family have had access to Alcohol, be it a cocktail, wine with meals beer etc. None have any drink related problems. At family gatherings children ask for a taste of stuff and usually pull a face and ask for some juice. Later on they may ask for a beer and get a 10% beer or cider/lemonade shandy and feel very grown up . This fosters a healthy attitude to drink and I would put no age limit on it. In places like Canada and USA where drink laws prevent under 18's and sometimes under 21's even going into a bar let alone drinking there is a huge drink problem, where people drink to excess in the privacy of their own homes, so allowing wine and beer as part of family life is demystifying it , making it normal and not something to be drunk behind the bikesheds.

[factor-fiction]

I agree, sebhfhion.
Do you like my avatar, by the way. I have you to thank for the idea

[ummmm]

Daffy said 'or a bottle of wine every night'

[sebhfhion]

Factor, I love your Avatar what a big cuddly old Hector you are x

[Answerprancer]

It's not a question of age IMO it's a question of individual understanding and maturity. Kids mature at different rates.

[Goodsoulette]

In the Uk legally its 5. If children think of alcohol as normal surely they are less likely to be irresponsible with it when they get older. I was allowed to drink as a child with my meal and when we were camping or in Italy I was given little bottles of beer as young as 9. The result is I never drink at home alone, I associate alcohol with being sociable, I even struggle to drink when it's me and my partner!

[Goodsoulette]

However, I may not be the greatest advertisment, at 19 I passed out and wet myself while wearing tights all thanks to alcohol.