Why do people act like I'm a bad parent

I'm not American and people here do drink earlier than 18 (which is when people are allowed to buy alcohol), but I agree that your kids are too young for alcohol. Your son is a bit more of a grey area because I think 14/15 is a fine age to drink with parental supervision, but 8 years old is far too young to drink wine. Alcohol can have negative effects on growing bodies, and given the rest of the shit that goes into people's bodies these days, I just don't know why you'd want to throw alcohol into the mix.

>>17415636
How much beer and wine are we talking about?
If your 8 y.o. is imbibing liters of red per day, you have a problem on your hands, if she's getting a glass of sparkly at parties and celebrations like the grown-ups, well that's completely normal.

>>17415661
Maybe a glass a week or two.

>>17415636
In other countries this is very normal.

My girlfriend's parents were like this.

Honestly, I do agree with you. But alcohol is not good for developing minds so maybe don't let them have it with any frequency. Just special events and such.

>>17415661
Neither of my children have never had more than one drink a day and have never been drunk.

>>17415672
A couple of glasses per week is fine. It's not like they're drinking heavily or every day.
In the evenings or with their meals?

>>17415683
Whole family drinks 1 cup of wine on Friday dinners when everyone is home. Also on Christmas and thanksgiving. Son drinks a beer almost every day at dinner like I do.

>>17415661
Thinking about it, maybe 2 glasses of wine per week can be too much for a preteen girl, there's probably some medical literature about it.
On the whole, it sounds normal, I'd be more worried if they started asking for wine every day.

I have a friend who grew up in a traditional Italian household. She started drinking wine with diner at a really young age and she turned out fine. I think she was around 11-12 when she started and she's 21 now. I wouldn't worry about it too much if the amounts you listed are true.

>>17415694
Sounds like you're doing fine, by Italian standards at least.

>>17415636
Every family is different. I wouldn't let my kids drink underage, but that's just me.

Honestly, just keep it under wraps. Make sure your kids don't develop an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and that their health is fine, and make sure they understand that a lot of other parents don't let their kids drink. So, to cover your own ass from other parents, and the law, instill in them that they are to never, under any circumstance, provide alcohol or encourage other kids to drink, because that will come back on you.

Just going to add some facts to this thread:

>capability of purging alcohol from your blood stream is closely linked to muscle mass

For your daughter especially, who probably has a much lower weight than you have, one glass of wine could have the same results as a bottle for you.

>major brain development doesn't stop until the age of 12, further development goes on to young adulthood

If you want a undisturbed development of the brain, no drugs (including alcohol and caffeine) should be taken until you are at least 20. As this is improbable one should weigh the effects of neurotoxicity against proper teaching about alcohol.

>In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions is present: a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, withdrawal occurs when stopping, and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use

In my understanding, a bottle of beer daily constitutes a "large amount over a long period of time" for a 13 y/o.


I won't say anything else as I don't want to influence you in a direction that is detrimental to your kids. Maybe read a bit more into alcohol and brain development and make an informed decision yourself.

Source: Biochemist, 3 y/o son

>>17415789
Idk. I drank as much as he does at that age and I turned out fine.

>>17415832
As in you're not retarded?
>you might have been intelligent
As in you are intelligent?
>you might have been a genious

See where I'm going?

It also might be the other way round (in your case) - but are you willing to gamble your kids brainpower on neurotoxins helping or not being bad?

>>17415636
Minors lack the blood-brain barrier and their liver can't process alcohol as well as an adult liver does.

You are causing them permanent brain damage.