Beer Pong at a family Block Party?

[Tinijocaro]

Well, we had our 3rd annual block party on our very small street. There were about 9 families that came, only 5 of those families have school age children. One family has a college age daughter who last year, introduced the game of "Beer Pong" at our block party. I didn't think much of it- didn't love the idea, didn't participate, but dh wasn't there and I didn't give it much thought.

Well, again, this year, 'Beer Pong" was a focus of our block party. A rule poster board was up, the table was set up early, the college girls even had t-shirts made up. They were even going to set up a "Pop pong' table for the kids. Most of the adults at the party were totally focused on this game. By the end of the night, there was a huge pile of beer cans on the side of the road and several very drunk people, using bad language.

Many of the kids who attended were quite oblivious to the beer pong, but two of my kids are at rather impressionable ages (10 and 12) and I thought it was very irresponsible of them to glorify drinking until you can't see straight at what should have been a family event.

Also, just the week before, my next door neighbor had a Luau, adults only, that most of these same people were at. Do you think they could have used that opportunity to play beer pong? No, they waited till all the kids were around to do it.

I will be saying something next year, and if Beer Pong is still in the plans, we won't be attending. I think they were being selfish and thoughtless. What do you think?

 

[littleteapot]

Klassy...and uncool

 

[JunieJay]

I think its a little ridiculous too. And we're social drinkers, rarely do we have a party at our home when alcohol isn't served. Its not glorified in the form of a beer bong though....not appropriate for the preteen set, imo, in fact it sounds like something you wouldn't serve outside of a college dorm room.

 

[LBAK]

We have Beer Pong at our Block Party too. I also have a 12 year old. It doesn't bother me. She knows the laws about drinking as I also have a 21 year old. Every family on the block puts money up for the DJ and Kids bouncer. The kids are too busy with organized games to pay attention to Beer Pong. I feel as long as they are paying to participate they can do things that they enjoy.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I think its a little ridiculous too. And we're social drinkers, rarely do we have a party at our home when alcohol isn't served. Its not glorified in the form of a beer bong though....and not appropriate for the preteen set, imo.

We're social drinkers too, but always drink responsibly and never to get drunk. If we were ot drink to get drunk, we wound't do it when kids were around either!

 

[JunieJay]

We have Beer Pong at our Block Party too. I also have a 12 year old. It doesn't bother me. She knows the laws about drinking as I also have a 21 year old. Every family on the block puts money up for the DJ and Kids bouncer. The kids are too busy with organized games to pay attention to Beer Pong. I feel as long as they are paying to participate they can do things that they enjoy.

What exactly is a Beer Pong? I thought the OP said beer bong, which I thought was something like a funnel type shot of beer? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong thing....

 

[Tinijocaro]

We have Beer Pong at our Block Party too. I also have a 12 year old. It doesn't bother me. She knows the laws about drinking as I also have a 21 year old. Every family on the block puts money up for the DJ and Kids bouncer. The kids are too busy with organized games to pay attention to Beer Pong. I feel as long as they are paying to participate they can do things that they enjoy.

At our block party, anyone with kids chips in for a bounce house. DH provides the sound system for karaoke. Other than that, we provide our own meat, drinks, and bring one dish to pass. My kids know the laws about drinking too, but I hate that drinking to get drunk is glorified.

 

[disneynutt1225]

We're social drinkers too, but always drink responsibly and never to get drunk. If we were ot drink to get drunk, we wound't do it when kids were around either!

Is it the beer pong that bothers you or the fact that there were adults getting drunk around children?

I wouldn't have a problem with beer pong at a block party as long as the adults weren't driving home after the party.

 

[Youarehere]

What exactly is a Beer Pong? I thought the OP said beer bong, which I thought was something like a funnel type shot of beer? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong thing....

Yes, they are different. Beer Pong is a game played on a ping pong tables with keg cups full of beer. Think quarters, biggie sized and alot more fun.

 

[LBAK]

If they were getting drunk, then I'd have a problemt. If it's just a few games it's fine. The kids at our party didn't over do it and they certainly didn't drive afterwards. They were camped out at the negihbors for the night.

 

[Tinijocaro]

If they were getting drunk, then I'd have a problemt. If it's just a few games it's fine. The kids at our party didn't over do it and they certainly didn't drive afterwards. They were camped out at the negihbors for the night.

Ummm....I'm not saying that the kids were playing, it's the adults who were getting drunk playing it. By 'kids", were you speaking about underage drinkers?

 

[bumbershoot]

Is this like Ping Pong, or like the videogame Pong? What is this game?

 

[Tinijocaro]

You bounce a ping pong ball across a table into some cups of beer at the other end. Depending which cup it lands in, either you drink it, or they drink it. That's just a general explanation..

dizneynutt- It's the idea that adults are playing drinking games, teaching kids that alchohol can be used as a game to get drunk, that bothers me. My son had no idea that alchohol could be used in such a cool, fun way Thanks neighbors! Bottom line: dh and I talked with our kids and told them that we don't approve of that kind of behavior and feel our neighbors were behaving irresponsibly.

 

[Hannathy]

I don't have a problem with it as long as everyone was walking home. Actually sounds like it could be fun-not falling down drunk but fun. Better than everyone standing around like most block parties.

As far as the kids your 12 yr old if not your 10 yr old will be hearing about a lot of drinking games soon at school. I would just emphasize it isn't smart to get totally drunk and to have not stopped at just having fun.

 

[Tinijocaro]

As far as the kids your 12 yr old if not your 10 yr old will be hearing about a lot of drinking games soon at school. I would just emphasize it isn't smart to get totally drunk and to have not stopped at just having fun.

Of course they will, but it really helps when the adults in their lives reinforce the idea that this is a cool thing to do.

 

[disneynutt1225]

dizneynutt- It's the idea that adults are playing drinking games, teaching kids that alchohol can be used as a game to get drunk, that bothers me. My son had no idea that alchohol could be used in such a cool, fun way Thanks neighbors! Bottom line: dh and I talked with our kids and told them that we don't approve of that kind of behavior and feel our neighbors were behaving irresponsibly.

I can see your point. Beer pong should be reserved for a certain...demographic, if you will.

 

[aprilgail2]

We have a beer pong table at our block party every year, doesn't bother me at all. We don't drink but my daughter has seen people when they get drink and it actually works in my favor, she asks why they are acting so stupid and I tell her its because they drank alcohol and thats what happens when you drink to much of it.

 

[mommasita]

Sounds like fun to me

However, safety is paramount, and if there is no danger to lives, nobody driving, children are playing, what the heck, have fun..

 

[stargrazer]

Not being smarmy, an honest question for ya'll.

Do you really think they won't find out that there are cool fun games to play with alcohol in the future? Wouldn't you rather them find out the truth, that yes, people drink and many times they drink too much, while they are there with you so you can educate them?

I personally see those times as teaching moments. I believe in telling kids the truth - sex can feel good, drugs seem to make pain go away and drinking makes things woozy and funny. And then tell them exactly WHY you should make the right decisions not to participate in these things. IMO.

My DD is going to the best middle school in our area and she will be exposed to kids that are pregnant, that smoke, cuss, drink and do drugs. The more out in the open it is, the better off we are as long as the lines of communication are already open.

I know it's hard to raise tweens/teens because I've got one and we're all just doing the best we can and have to decide how to handle this stuff because it will come up more and more often from here out.

Wishing us all LUCK!!


PS...

I can see your point. Beer pong should be reserved for a certain...demographic, if you will.

And exactly what demographic would that be? Care to elaborate?

 

[lulugirl]

Well, I'm not a Beer Pong kinda gal, but as long as the drinkers were of legal age and were not driving it wouldn't bother me.
I see this as a good opportunity to discuss the dangers of alcohol and what responsible drinking means.