Did you drink as a teenager

[WilmaBud]

I drank a little bit in my Jr and Sr years in high school. I drank a lot in college (the legal age was 19 then). My dad used to worry about me. I settled down once I was out of college, pretty much. Now (LONG after college!) I just drink socially, and I rarely have more than 2 drinks. I get hungover at the drop of a hat, so 2 is my limit. I enjoy drinking in moderation, though, in a social situation. My mom never made it a big deal, but my dad never liked us drinking. If we were ever drunk or our driver was, we were to call home for a ride, any hour of the night. My dad would come get us, no questions asked. I'm not going to treat alcohol like forbidden fruit with my kids. It's fine for an adult to drink in moderation, IMHO, and that's the message I convey to my kids.

 

[Fishbone†]

It's pretty unrealistic to expect kids not to drink before 21.

I don't see why it's such an unrealistic expectation.... afterall, it's against the law, and I would expect compliance from my nieces (as I don't yet have kids of my own). I would be disappointed in anything but the observance of this law or any other law. I'm not talking about a "sip"/"taste" at a family gathering of some sort..... I'm talking about having a drink.......

I had my first drink on my 21st birthday... my dad bought it for me in celebration. I don't drink alot, but I do enjoy a margarita (or some other "umbrella" drink) every once in a while.

 

[JAP]

I drank a little in high school, lots in college and into my twenties. By the time DH and I were married and ready for children it was important. I can only handle one beer or glass of wine now. Two small children are a lot of work and being drunk or hung over while with them is not my idea of good parenting.

 

[caitycaity]

I don't see why it's such an unrealistic expectation.... afterall, it's against the law, and I would expect compliance from my nieces (as I don't yet have kids of my own). I would be disappointed in anything but the observance of this law or any other law.

so you never speed, not even 1 mile over the limit?

just as i don't think it's a realistic expectation that everyone will obey traffic laws, i don't think it's realistic to think that just because it's the law all (or even most) people under age won't try alcohol.

technically it was illegal for my parents to serve me wine with dinner, but they still did, and i don't think them doing that was harming anyone.

 

[Steve H.]

I drank a few times in high school and then every couple weekends in college Freshman year, and then not much during most of the rest of college (maybe a party or two every couple months).

 

[damo]

No and I don't very often now. Maybe a little wine with dinner a few times of the year. There is no alcohol in the house and my kids, 14 and 17, don't drink either. I don't think it is an unreasonable thing. If their friends don't drink and they have plenty of fun without alcohol, why waste money on something that is unnecessary? My kids usually are hanging out in someone's house and the parents won't allow alcohol to minors. They and their friends don't smoke either. Guess we're just lucky.

 

[Amzey]

I've had sips but never enough to feel it - I really have no interest in being drunk. We're going on a Mediterranean cruise this summer and I am legal drinking age on the ship (18). I'll probably have a glass of wine with dinner, but no more than that.

 

[nsyncraider17]

I'm 16 and I've never had a drink. I definitely don't plan on drinking at all as a teenager, and after that I probably won't drink anything more than wine at weddings, etc.

I think that at high school there are people who drink regularly and people who don't drink at all, and not many in the middle. Most of my friends have similar beliefs as me, at least as far as drugs. And in a school with 2000 students, its usually pretty easy to avoid the "druggies." I do know people who smoke and/or drink regularly, but none of them are people who I would consider my friends.

 

[dennis99ss]

Yep!

party boy, not as much as some, but more than others. Like the time I walked in the door and couldn't get the chain back on the door, 'cause the door was movin'. The next morning, I got this early wake up call, I still remember it. But, kept on the party trail........

But, what bothers me now, and what I hope to address when the boys are old enough to drive, is, no matter what, call. No questions asked, no punishment, not mentioned again. Just call me for the ride, don't try to drive. As long as I can get them to understand if they don't, their hide gets tanned. I had to many nights where I couldn't remember how I got home.

I know they will drink, party and have fun. as long as I can make sure they get home in one piece, I will

 

[disykat]

I guess I had pretty good parental supervision in high school and hung out with friends that had the same. Drinking never even entered our minds - where would we have gotten the alcohol? Usually parties were at someone's house and there was a parent in the other room. I was pretty busy with music groups etc. too - boredom wasn't an issue - maybe that helped.

I think peers are my biggest worry with my kids because I really think it depends on who you hang out with. Someone is buying the alcohol - I don't want my kids hanging with someone who has a ready supply.

I did have two or three drinks as an underage college student. Watching other people throw up was enough to stop me from wanting to drink much, but I did have access to it because of my older friends.

 

[Evil Princess]

I wonder how people say that drug use is down. In my school it is crazy, with alcohol of course being the drug of choice. However, pot comes up right next to it, with kids even doing cocaine and speed, along with others.

But enough of that. I'm a senior in high school this year, and yes, I have gotten drug, yes, I have partied the last few years. I think that alcohol is so taboo in our society, when in reality it really isn't a big deal. Then why do I drink, you ask? I enjoy the taste of margaritas and girlie drinks like Smirnoff ice or Mikes Hard Lemonade. They taste good on a hot summer day. The other reason would be socially, or because suburbia is boring and we have nothing to do.

Typical high school answer. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but I"m being honest.

I don't drink every weekend, but I will go to parties occasionally and drink there, or get together with friends. I'd say about once a month.

I would also like to add that I'm very active in school, was always on the honor roll, and hold a steady job

I don't consider myself to be abnormal, or a binge drinker.

 

[Nancy]

Yep...unfortunately. Drank and smoked at 13! Yikes..if my kids did that I'd be furious. Never did drugs. Drinking age was 18 and we started going to bars by 16. I had some older friends that had cars. I think my Mom must have been oblivious or else she chose to ignore my behaviour. Hardly ever drink now and haven't had a cigarette in almost 20 years!

 

[katerkat]

Not in high school. I did drink in college, when I was 18. And my older sister didn't drink until college and my little sister did drink in high school. Now, I would say the little one drinks the most (still in college), my older sister has had some binges and now drinks occasionally. I had some binges -- the worst when I was a CP in Disney! -- and now drink an amaretto sour or two on the weekends.

 

[JoeThaNo1Stunna]

I just graduated from HS and I'd say 75% of students drink, 40% smoke marijuana, and 10% do "hard" drugs.

 

[binny]

I was a very wild child. I did a lot of things that Im not proud of drinking excessively was one them.

I pray my children are not the way I was. One difference I intend to make is educating them. They need to know how dangerous it is. It shouldnt take losing a friend to make them stop




I have changed so many things about my life Im so glad that I am past those times.

I dont want my kids to repeat my mistakes.

 

[Pooh93]

No, I didn't, but made up for it in college. Continued on my partying ways until I was about 25. Then I realized the recovery time was not as much fun a it used to be and getting up early to go to work hung over was not a good thing either. Now, I rarely drink. There's no way I could keep up with my kids hungover. Besides my free time is so precious to me that I don't want to waste it laying in bed with a headache.

 

[Lynn CC]

I graduated HS in 81. I don't think I ever heard of anyone getting pulled over for OUI? I probably wouldn't have even known what that meant when I was in HS.
I remember kids used to go to the beach with their cars here on the Cape and party. The police would just come and tell them all to leave. They never checked to see if they were drinking or had drugs on them.

Boy have things changed!

They used to call me "Miss Priss" in HS LOL

 

[LuvTigger]

I drank in high school. I wouldn't say I drank a LOT, but I started drinking my sophomore year from time to time, mostly around graduation season. I was fortunate in that I had friends who did not drink and were the drivers, and I had one older friend who really watched out for me and after I got really drunk at her grad party, gave me a "limit" and told me I could drink only two wine coolers, and would hold me to that. I have never done drugs at all in my life (I'm 32 now).

My family always believed that the crowd of friends I had were the key, and I think that's true. While we weren't saints, we were pretty responsible and watched out for each other. Another thing that I will remember to this day is watching videos in driver's education about what happens when you drink and drive. We saw some pretty graphic stuff, and I still think about it now.

While I don't think you can keep your kids from drinking and of course you shouldn't encourage it, I think a discussion about RESPONSIBLE drinking would help. I knew a guy who got kicked out of a pre-college program because of a drinking incident at a dorm, but his parents said they would rather him drink in a dorm and be safe then be out driving or elsewhere in public. Like another poster said, its better for them to call you rather than for them to drive or get into a car with someone who was drinking or doing drugs. The way one of my co-workers got this across to his kids was by telling them that the stupidest way to die is by driving recklessly (including drunk driving) or getting into a car with someone who is drunk.

It's also important for them to know that even if they've "only had a couple of beers" that they shouldn't drive. I used to work at an office that took away driver's licenses from drunk drivers, and I could tell you about a LOT of situations where bad things happened even with people who weren't all that drunk, but had "a couple."

 

[Kitty 34]

I didn't drink at all in high school but unfortunetly made up for it in college, esp my senior year!!!

When my second DS was born I quit drinking altogether for 15 years! Starting drinking a glass of wine here and there just last year.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

From my experience, the kids who had parents that let them drink were more responsible drinkers. In Texas, it is legal for a minor to drink in thier parents' pressence (not okay for other people's kids to drink in your parent's presence though) I've seen several girls that I went to school with throw their lives away because they were so sheltered by their parents. One of my closest friends never got to go anywhere or do anything with us in HS. Then when she turned 18 she moved out, then she dropped out of school. She later told me if she would have had a chance to have fun while she was in HS she probably would have never gotten so out of hand.

I was a very responsible drinker. Yes, I drank a lot...every weekend, in fact, for about 3 years. A friend of mine had a mom that had an out-of-town boyfriend that she went to visit every weekend. So...there was an adult-free house for us to party in every weekend. She had a brother that bought the alcohol for us. I got plastered ONCE and from then on I knew my limit. I did NOT like the fact that I woke up the next morning and couldn't remember a single thing! I was a designated driver on some occasions and I only got in the car with a drunk person ONCE (Believe me, that's all it took.) and that was on accident because he was suppose to be my designated driver. It was raining and it was night time and his car almost ended up getting wrapped around a tree...I got out and walked home from there. (and never trusted that guy again) I never smoked pot. I had seen people high and I didn't want to be like that. I always made fun of my friends when they were high and I didn't want them making fun of me. There was no preasure on me to smoke it either, they all knew how I felt about it and they were cool about it and accepted it.

I think, as parents, the only thing we can do is educated our kids and trust them to make the right choices. They need to know that we will be here for them. Like others have said, I plan on enforcing the "no questions asked" rule when my kids are old enough. As long as they are smart enough to call me whenever they need me I'll be okay with it.