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hen is the right time to introduce your kids to the world of beer? The law says 21, but common sense says moderation and respect is best taught/learned before then. I have a 16-year-old with whom I have not yet shared a beer (with the exception of 1/1/2000 when he was 7, and he hated it) but I’m not going to fool myself into thinking that, if he’s not already drinking, he might start soon. Any dads or moms with any thoughts?
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I’m married, no kids, 26... But I say let it be natural. Scenario: You’re at a Christmas, family gathering and there’s some beers in the fridge. The kid is 16... Give him a taste of what you are drinking if he looks interested? Dunno, how do the French do it?
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I remember brewing my own beer while in high school for the soul reason; It was "educational"
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Under the supervision of an adult, and its only your own kids I don’t think 16 is too young. If they learn to respect alcohol at a young age they may be less likely to go out an abuse it. Teaching moderation is the right thing to do.
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I was started at the age of 6 and see no problem with giving young children a few sips.
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I’ve tried after 1 sip my kids know better to try it again.... Maybe they would like some type of fruit beer
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Coming from a Germanic background, alcohol, beer in particular was always available to me throughout most of my life in the home.
Having siblings in his age range...He’s has at least a beer, or wanted to at least try one.
I don’t know what your family views are about it, but growing up I had the rule of if I wanted to try it all I had to do was ask, and I could have it. I couldn’t leave the house that night after drinking, and if I got sick, I had to clean it up. My my folks were very open about alcohol and I grew up with a pretty healthy respect for alcohol.
Honestly, I’d talk to him, ask him what he’s done and what he wants to try and.........that he can always call even if it’s 3am and he needs a ride home.
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By posting this, you show reason. Let go the guilt and use your own sensibility. My oldest is legal and my son has gone out drinking with her. My concern? Either the two of them or the bar serving getting in trouble. He may be under age, but at 19, I have no problem with him drinking. Not every person/child is alike.
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wasn’t the legal age in the US 18 at one time?
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Most important, make sure he knows in a comfortable way that you’re fully relaxed and ready to discuss any aspect of intoxicants with him. Reassure him that you won’t BS him with a bunch of scare tactics or other untruths.
If he knows for sure--not just heard you say it, but KNOWS--that he can say/ask anything, he will. And you’ll know before his friends do when he’s ready to learn more.
No magic number for starting with booze. Just facts, honesty, common sense, personal experience.
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Tricky one...
I was introduced to beer, wine and spirits at an early age - european parents... and growing up in the pub/hotel and catering trade...
I didn’t really start drinking "properly" until I was really... 19/21...
I was playing a lot of sport, and beer in quantity was never the name of the game - hence my preference for more flavoursome beers...
but my father introduced me to Dark Lager way back when I was 15 ish in Germany... lager is far more acceptable to the youth, simply because it has lower bitterness, hence the reason when you give an uninitiated person a hop bomb they recoil... we are genetically predisposed to reject bitterness.
Perhaps why "we" move from lager, to guiness, to sierra nevada pale ale, etc etc...
My dad was a big drinker, I’m not... he just let me try what was going around, often in hindsight interesting beers.
and, when I was at home at the pub, I would drink the ale, simply because it needed to be drunk... and then when I was in University the Holts and Wilsons were often the cheapest beers in the local pub... Holts’ Mild, 78p a pint! (when I were a lad....)
So... I think that leave drinking out as long as you can, or do the low to high bitterness induction, and hope that genetic trigger against bitterness turns off, and your youngsters can enjoy what we can...
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