Here's A Question for Everyone

[scanne]

How often do you drink alcoholic beverages? Is it a daily routine for you? Do you 'kick back' at the end of the day with a glass of wine or a beer?

Here's why I ask...

Many of my neighbors drink openly. In fact, the one thing that really shocked me was when I took my kids trick-or-treating in the neighborhood last fall and the parents carted around a wagon filled with a cooler of beer.

I just don't "get" the whole drinking thing. Occasionally, I'll enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail, but it's not an every day or even and every week thing. It is very occasional. But my neighbors seem to drink all the time.

And we all have kids in the pre-school to middle/high school age range. What does this say to them? When they see mommy pulling a kids' wagon with a cooler of beer - it makes me really worried for when these kids get to high school. They'll have access to it which will lead to unfortunate events...

I don't know. To each his own, I guess. But I'm trying to be a responsible parent and set a good example. One stupid mistake can ruin someone's entire life...and a kid that drinks too much can lead to a mistake like that.

Thoughts? Flames?

Thanks for reading...

 

[tink_n_pooh]

We drink on social occasions (weddings, parties, etc), Friday nights DH has wine if we go to his parents, and once in awhile we go out on a weekend for dinner and have a drink or two. If we are hanging out with the neighbors we may have a few drinks.

FWIW we don't have any kids yet but some of the people that we are drinking with do have kids (ages from 2-ish to 17-ish)

 

[C.Ann]

I don't drink alcoholic beverages at all..

 

[HeatherH]

Hmm, well, I'm sitting her answering this with my nightly glass of wine by my side, so I think you can figure out my answer!

I enjoy fine wines. Don't drink beer. Have a mixed drink maybe three times a year. For me, the wine is all about the taste, not any "buzz".

And yep, unless I am pregnant (long past those days), sick, or have a medical reason for not drinking (such as taking medication or avoiding it pre-surgery), I have a glass of wine...or two...most every day.

My teen sees this and I have zero problems with it. She sees me drinking responsibly, not sitting here popping down drinks until I'm falling over drunk. She actually has ZERO interest in drinking. Heck, she doesn't even like the taste of soda.

Alcohol is not the devil. Plenty of people can enjoy social drinking, even daily, and not be alcoholics, or be poor role models for their children. You can teach responsibility and still have a glass of Merlot at dinner.

To each their own. If you have no interest in drinking, great. I don't think that really has any affect on whether or not your children decide to ever drink, or drink to excess. Kids will do what kids will do.

As for the neighbors pulling the wagon of beer, I see that as just a party thing. Now if they did it all the TIME, that would be excessive. But on Halloween? To me it just sounds like a traveling party. Unless they were loud, obnoxious or were not being responsible with their children, I have no problems with it.

There you go. Back to my Chardonnay.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Another social drinker. Sometimes go months between drinking occasions. During the summer, we have a lot of company, so I probably drink too much, but I never drink alone and no longer drink "too much" at one time. Hangovers are a thing of the past...

 

[MIGrandma]

I have an alcoholic drink when we go somewhere like Applebee's or Logan's Roadhouse, etc. Had a wonderful pommegranate margarita at Bubba Gump's last month.

And I will sometimes have a wine cooler or a margarita or two when we're camping.

But I rarely drink at home. So I guess I'm what they call a social drinker.

 

[Hillbeans]

Halloween is a big deal in my town as well, and many families have after parties so to speak. I think having a rolling bar in a kids wagon is a little much but again, it is a big party night in our town if it falls on a weekend.

I rarely have alcohol during the week, occasionally one or two drinks on a Saturday if we go out to a restaurant.

 

[brasswillow]

I don't drink because of my job, but I don't have any problems with my friends doing it responsibly.

 

[MomRN]

Before having my son, I did my share of "going out" and drinking. Since he's been born the last 4 yrs would equal a weeks worth of drinks in my party days. Maybe 1-2X's a year, and usually only 1 drink.

 

[WEDWDW]

Another non-drinker here.

JMHO-Why would I want anything to do with something that has caused so much pain to so many?

I know many people drink responsibly,but I go back to the bottom line-has alcohol brought more pain to the World or more happiness?No contest.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i drink 2-3 days a week. but i don't get wasted or anything. it's like 1-2 drinks at the most just to relax or if we're hanging out with friends.

the cooler full of beer is a bit much, i would think you could at least wait a few hours after your kids were done trick-or-treating to have a drink or two.

my parents used to go to the neighbor's house on weekends and have some drinks and just have a good time while all the kids would be playing either upstairs in the bedrooms or in the playroom in the basement, we never thought anything about it when we were kids. but like i said...it only happened on the weekends. plus there was no driving involved, we just walked back home.

i have a DBIL and DSIL who i've only ever seen without an alcoholic beverage ONCE in the 5 years they've been together(and the 8 years i've known my DBIL). even now she's pregnant and she's still drinking "non-alcoholic wine/beer" which...still has alcohol in it...but i keep my mouth shut on that situation.

 

[phorsenuf]

How often do you drink alcoholic beverages? Is it a daily routine for you? Do you 'kick back' at the end of the day with a glass of wine or a beer?

Here's why I ask...

Many of my neighbors drink openly. In fact, the one thing that really shocked me was when I took my kids trick-or-treating in the neighborhood last fall and the parents carted around a wagon filled with a cooler of beer.

I just don't "get" the whole drinking thing. Occasionally, I'll enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail, but it's not an every day or even and every week thing. It is very occasional. But my neighbors seem to drink all the time.

And we all have kids in the pre-school to middle/high school age range. What does this say to them? When they see mommy pulling a kids' wagon with a cooler of beer - it makes me really worried for when these kids get to high school. They'll have access to it which will lead to unfortunate events...

I don't know. To each his own, I guess. But I'm trying to be a responsible parent and set a good example. One stupid mistake can ruin someone's entire life...and a kid that drinks too much can lead to a mistake like that.

Thoughts? Flames?

Thanks for reading...

So a parent that drinks is irresponsible and a bad example to their kids. Uh-huh. Sorry not everyone can live up to your expectations.

And for the record I'm not a drinker. I'll have a drink here and there but that's about it. Nonetheless I find your view of people that do to be condescending.

 

[Planogirl]

I drink very rarely but I've always done so in front of my son. I'd rather show him how to drink responsibly than make it out to be something forbidden and therefore likely alluring.

 

[luvmy3]

What do you mean they drink "openly"? Are they stumbling around drunk 24/7 or do they drink occasionally and it just so happens you witness those occasions? If the parents truly have a drinking problem, meaning they are alcoholics thats one thing, but if they enjoy alcoholic beverages from time to time in front of their children its really no big deal.
I drink socially and sometimes on a hot summer day after dh mows the grass I'll whip up a batch of Bahama mama's and sit out by the pool enjoying my cocktails. We may have a glass of wine or a beer with our dinner, I even have beer in the fridge right next to the juice boxes I keep them in the vegetable crisper instead of veggies, how much worse could it get

 

[aprilgail2]

The only time I have alcohol in the house is when my sister and brother in law are coming over- otherwise we really don't drink. I had a pina colada about 2 or 3 years ago...that was the last drink i have had...maybe next weekend at Great Wolf Lodge I will have another (thats wher eI had the one three years ago too LOL). I prefer not to drink much in front of my daughter, I feel it sets a bad example. My father used to drink a glass or 2 of wine every day and most of my family and our friends consider him to have been an alcoholic.

 

[LuvLDM]

So a parent that drinks is irresponsible and a bad example to their kids. Uh-huh. Sorry not everyone can live up to your expectations.

And for the record I'm not a drinker. I'll have a drink here and there but that's about it. Nonetheless I find your view of people that do to be condescending.

MTE

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

The only time I have alcohol in the house is when my sister and brother in law are coming over- otherwise we really don't drink. I had a pina colada about 2 or 3 years ago...that was the last drink i have had...maybe next weekend at Great Wolf Lodge I will have another (thats wher eI had the one three years ago too LOL). I prefer not to drink much in front of my daughter, I feel it sets a bad example. My father used to drink a glass or 2 of wine every day and most of my family and our friends consider him to have been an alcoholic.

your family considers your father an alcoholic for having 2 glasses of wine??? wow i'd love to know what they thought of my grandfather(who was ACTUALLY an alcoholic. we're talking driving around while he was sloshed with his wife and kids in the car, losing jobs because he would constantly go in drunk, etc.). it really irritates me how people use the term so loosely like that.

you are aware that doctors even say that a glass of red wine everyday is actually GOOD for you, right??

 

[onelilspark]

I don't drink that much and when I do it's a glass of wine. I get terrible migraines, so I have to avoid it because of that. My boyfriend likes to have a Hard Cider or glass of wine just about every night. I grew up where my parents always had wine with dinner. It was never a big deal. If we went out, my Dad would have a diet soda so he would be safe driving home...THAT is the important message I learned. Enjoy an adult beverage, but never drive afterwards.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I drink very rarely but I've always done so in front of my son. I'd rather show him how to drink responsibly than make it out to be something forbidden and therefore likely alluring.

Great post...

 

[klacey1]

Even in college, I would only drink once or every other week. Now, I enjoy a good quality beer in the summer (Killians usually) or a Jack + Coke on the rare, rare occasion I meet friends at a bar for appetizers/drinks, but it's definitely not a daily occurrence. DBF doesn't drink at all, so we never keep any in the house. However, he doesn't judge anyone who does. My father was/is an alcoholic, and addictive behavior runs in my family, so for me, it's all about temperance.