There are some conversations no one wants to have, especially when it comes to raising children. The most common scenario is the “birds and the bees” talk, but one that many people don’t immediately consider is when to talk to your children about alcohol.
It may seem like a superfluous topic until their teenage years, but by the time high school rolls around, most children have already been influenced by any number of factors from TV and movies to their peers. It’s so normal to get caught up in today’s fast paced society, that parents can easily overlook how many outside factors are influencing their children on a nearly daily basis. People who develop alcoholism later in life typically begin their drinking pattern in their early years. According to Time, alcohol problems are more likely for those who start drinking at puberty.
Of course not every teenager who has a drink becomes an alcoholic, but talking with your children about drinking before they learn about it from another source could give them the tools they need to make the right decisions when the time comes. If they don’t get the necessary information from you, they’ll seek it elsewhere.
Initiating the Conversation
This can seem like an overwhelming task at first, but keep in mind that not everything need be discussed at once. In fact, you are more likely to have a greater impact on your child if you spread the discussion over multiple chats, giving their brain time to absorb and analyze what it has just heard. Good news, you can avoid those lengthy talks that have a “lecture” feel to them!
Adolescents tend to have the same questions about drinking no matter their age and you don’t want them getting their info from an untrustworthy source. Whether you have all of the answers does not matter as long as you are the one they come to with questions.
Tips to Talking Alcohol
Take caution against being too limiting, particularly in high school. Children crave independence, and you want them to start exercising it. The chances that they will attend at least one party with underage drinking are very high and refusing to ever let them go out could have the opposite effect. Try granting them some freedom as long as they promise not to drink and discuss why the promise is so important. If you have been talking with them about alcohol for a few years, their curiosity should be greatly diminished.
Several parents have had success letting their children take a sip at home. That first taste is usually enough to make them never want to do it again and, more importantly, they are trying it in a small quantity while you are there to put everything in perspective. This openness about alcohol at a young age increases the odds that they will feel comfortable being open about it in the future. But it is never an excuse to let your child drink. Why? Just take a look at 5 Reasons Not to Give a Teen Alcohol.
Remember, most kids take their first drink not for the taste, but for the adrenaline rush. Bridge the conversation at an early age and they’ll be not only ready, but willing to say no.