Anyone out there teetotalers?
- Thread starter Deb in IA
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Galahad
.....an appointment
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Not a teatotaler....but haven't been even "tipsy" in well over 20 years. DS (22) does not drink by choice....and we even tried to corrupt him a couple of times 
. He didn't like it. For him though, it's mostly how disgusted he got seeing folks he knows at college get plastered. He, rightly, couldn't understand how they could possibly be "having fun" when they had to alter their state so much to do it.
. He didn't like it. For him though, it's mostly how disgusted he got seeing folks he knows at college get plastered. He, rightly, couldn't understand how they could possibly be "having fun" when they had to alter their state so much to do it.
Originally posted by Galahad
Deb, what's your position on the question....
Well, now that you ask . . . Here is the long answer:
DH and I stopped drinking last fall. I have never been a big drinker -- maybe a glass of wine with dinner twice a month or so. DH enjoyed it a lot more -- not that he was ever publically intoxicated, and we always made sure that when we did drink, we were not on call, had a designated driver, etc.
But DH did belong to a wine club, and the Bourbon society, and enjoyed an occasional beer with his brat, wine with steak, and a bourbon on the rocks when we would have our "date night" on Fridays, usually watching a rented movie at home after the kids went to bed.
But Jennifer completed the DARE program in 6th grade. Afterward, she was asking if it seemed hypocritical that her school (private parochial school) tells kids not to drink, then hosts a "beer tent" on school grounds during their annual fall fund-raising festival.
And we felt hypocritical telling Jennifer not to drink, while we also had alcohol.
So, we quit.
I don't miss it at all, but DH says that he sure enjoyed it. But he also thinks that those times that he did drink, even if he was a little "buzzed", it made it difficult to get anything else done (ie. reading jounals, writing papers, etc.)
The message we hope to send is that just because you turn 21, it doesn't mean you HAVE to drink. It's OK to not drink, even though you may (Heck, who are we fooling? You WILL) be in the minority. But if you do choose to drink, you should drink responsibly, and after you turn 21.
/
Galahad
.....an appointment
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Thanks Deb. That makes sense.
We have consistently dealt with questions like that in a more generic sense. We didn't feel there was any hypocrisy in saying that there were things that adults may do that children may not. As younger kids we even offered a rather benign "vice-versa" by use the example of milk...... that for most adults, drinking milk is no longer particularly good for them though it is quite good for kids. For me to drink milk every day would be harmful to me at 40-something just as drinking alcohol is harmful for kids, etc. I guess you add that to the fact that our kids have never seen us drink anything but "wine with dinner" and have never seen us drunk. I guess we are also fortunate that were never visited with the question of a double standard by them. Since I will only have a glass of wine when DW is also, and she has more and more days with the hospital (and with the arthritis meds) that preclude it, my Cabernet has to wait most of the time.
We have consistently dealt with questions like that in a more generic sense. We didn't feel there was any hypocrisy in saying that there were things that adults may do that children may not. As younger kids we even offered a rather benign "vice-versa" by use the example of milk...... that for most adults, drinking milk is no longer particularly good for them though it is quite good for kids. For me to drink milk every day would be harmful to me at 40-something just as drinking alcohol is harmful for kids, etc. I guess you add that to the fact that our kids have never seen us drink anything but "wine with dinner" and have never seen us drunk. I guess we are also fortunate that were never visited with the question of a double standard by them. Since I will only have a glass of wine when DW is also, and she has more and more days with the hospital (and with the arthritis meds) that preclude it, my Cabernet has to wait most of the time.
We both drink alcohol, never to excess. In my house growing up my parents and other adults in the family had wine with our dinner, for us its usually just on Sundays but ocassionally during the week I'll have a glass or two. I think my parents sort of took away the "forbidden fruit" factor, and as a result I can say that I never went the way of many of my peers by going out and getting trashed. My kids have been raised the same way. They understand that alcohol is something that responsible adults drink in moderation. Its our opinion that when you start making it forbidden and shunned, it becomes that more appealing to the child.
Miss Jasmine
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teetotaler...no, I enjoy wine over a nice dinner.
As for milk, we no longer drink regular milk in our house, too many hormones in milk, we have switched to soy. I wish I could get DH to become a vegetarian or even eat more vegetarian meals, but I will be happy with baby steps, we no longer allow anything with gelatin in it in our house.
Oh and I don't think it hypocritical for an adult to enjoy an adult beverage. And I don't see anything wrong with a glass or two of wine over dinner, a beer or two while watching a football game, etc.
As for milk, we no longer drink regular milk in our house, too many hormones in milk, we have switched to soy. I wish I could get DH to become a vegetarian or even eat more vegetarian meals, but I will be happy with baby steps, we no longer allow anything with gelatin in it in our house.
Oh and I don't think it hypocritical for an adult to enjoy an adult beverage. And I don't see anything wrong with a glass or two of wine over dinner, a beer or two while watching a football game, etc.
Respectfully, this seems silly to me. I tell my 3 year old he can't drive either, does that mean I should stop driving? We don't allow him to watch violent movies, does that mean I should avoid them too? Our society doesn't allow 3 year olds to vote. Should I wait until he's able to vote in order to do so myself?
Obviously it's totally up to the individual if they don't want to drink. More power to you! You reason just seems silly to me.
Note (as this has been the subject of a couple threads) - I normally would not comment on someone else's decision, such as yours not to drink, but I figure this IS a forum and you DID bring up the subject, which I figure makes it fair game.
As for the original question, I have beer and wine at dinner a few nights a week. I'm with the group that enjoys alcohol without going overboard - which I think is a good example for the kids. The more you stigmatize something, the more they'll want to do it.
Well, I DO think that "Do as I SAY, not as I do" is hypocritical.
You know, I think that teaching children that they can choose NOT to drink is not "silly".
There are very few redeeming qualities to alcohol. Yeah, a few studies have shown some effects on LDL and HDL, but not any more than can be achieved from a low-fat diet and regular exercise.
On the other hand, our local paper is filled each day with police logs citing "driving while intoxicated", "public intoxication" and "disorderly conduct".
You know, Doug, I don't believe that children are inherently bad. I don't think that something that is "stigmatized" will automatically attract them, like bees to honey. (And by the way, we never "stigmatized" alcohol-- we just choose not to drink it). I do believe that children will try to emulate their parents, work really hard to please them, and try to live up to their expectations. And if an example is not drinking, well, there's nothing wrong with that, is there?
I rarely drink - maybe two drinks a year?
I had a friend whose daughter was very upset about her parent's drinking after doing the DARE program. They teach that alcohol is a drug. I would not drink in front of my children if it was a stumbling block for them. - and for some kids it is.
I had a friend whose daughter was very upset about her parent's drinking after doing the DARE program. They teach that alcohol is a drug. I would not drink in front of my children if it was a stumbling block for them. - and for some kids it is.
Luv2Roam
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Skim milk if anyone would really be concerned.
I would think women especially need extra dairy.
Although I would never claim to be a nutritional expert either.
I have heard many herbalists tell those with sinus and allergies to avoid milk products.
But I stray --- Teatotaler here. I never could get past the alcohol taste. Never acquired a taste for it.
Caffeine on the other hand.....
WDWLVR
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Neither DH or I drink. I never could find anything I liked the taste of so I just never bothered. DH used to drink wine coolers when we were dating, but he hasn't really had any since we've been married.
We have just as much fun without so we figure why bother!
We have just as much fun without so we figure why bother!
Disney Doll
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I am mostly a teatotaller.
I will have the very rare glass of wine or an after-dinner drink.
I am one of those people who, if someone told me I could never drink alcohol again, it woudln't bother me a bit.
I will have the very rare glass of wine or an after-dinner drink.
I am one of those people who, if someone told me I could never drink alcohol again, it woudln't bother me a bit.
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