Parents Who Drink Alcohol While Taking Their Kids Trick or Treating...

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

OP - I wonder about this too. Seeing more and more of it.

Call me a prude, but DH and I don't see the need to grab a beer during child centered events...but that's just us.

Then again, I grew up with a dad who had to grab a beer at every opportunity and some of our relatives turn every event into a drink fest so we have chosen no alcohol at family and child centered events in our home. I have vowed my DD will not have the upbringing I did.

I totally understand that someone having a beer/drink Doesn't mean they will abuse it, but I still do not see the need to mix drinking and kids events - JMHO

 

[Mickey's Minion]

or

set the example that it is okay to be sneaky and the laws aren't meant for him.

Go ahead and drink in front of your children. I'm not saying to hide it. I'm saying do it within the laws of your state and lead by example as to when the "right" time is to do so. (for example not on a child's holiday, party, in public...etc.)

And who gets to make the decision of when the "right" time is to drink?

I personally have been served alcohol during children's holidays, especially at parties and in public. I find it perfectly acceptable as long as you are not drunk or impaired. If you don't want And 1 drink per hour for most people does not cause impairment. If you don't want to see alcohol where there are children, don't hang out with our adult behaved crowd.

I will even go as far as saying, following in French heritage, my children have been offered wine at dinner, at home, long before the legal drinking age. My oldest, now of drinking age, was not scarred by this. In fact, having a drink is so passe that he shakes his head at all his college classmates that are going wild because they are now of "legal" age.

We chose to set a good example of responsible drinking.

As long as the group you are with all find it acceptable, others can keep the judgemental crap to themselves.

 

[DVCJones]

A law is a law
BTW, I had no idea that there were still places where cell phone use while driving was legal.

But, the "intent" is what makes the difference.

Having the speed limit change on from 40 mph to 30 before you notice is different than intentionally choosing to drink when it is illegal to do so.

 

[golfgal]

OP - I wonder about this too. Seeing more and more of it.

Call me a prude, but DH and I don't see the need to grab a beer during child centered events...but that's just us.

Then again, I grew up with a dad who had to grab a beer at every opportunity and some of our relatives turn every event into a drink fest so we have chosen no alcohol at family and child centered events in our home. I have vowed my DD will not have the upbringing I did.

I totally understand that someone having a beer/drink Doesn't mean they will abuse it, but I still do not see the need to mix drinking and kids events - JMHO

And by doing so you are missing out on teaching your children about drinking responsibly, which is a VERY important lesson to learn--you can have one or two drinks and be ok, you don't need to have 12.

 

[luvmy3]

But, the "intent" is what makes the difference.

Having the speed limit change on from 40 mph to 30 before you notice is different than intentionally choosing to drink when it is illegal to do so.

"I'm sorry officer, it wasn't my intent to go 10 MPH over the limit"
Let me know how that works, I may need to use it some day

 

[DVCJones]

"I'm sorry officer, it wasn't my intent to go 10 MPH over the limit"
Let me know how that works, I may need to use it some day

Been there, done that and it does work! However, I wouldn't try to convince the officer that you did not intend to do 80 in a 55

Hey, It looks like you got a new tag!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Hubby thinks all the defensiveness on this Thread is derived from guilt from people maybe second guessing what they were doing last night??? He said he enjoyed taking the kids ToT'ing (safely) and then enjoyed his beer in the spa after they went to bed.

I am not second guessing myself at all. I am perfectly ok with having a drink or two while the kids were trick or treating.

I am perfectly ok with having a drink at last week's birthday party.

I am perfectly ok with having a drink at the Friday Night sportngs practices with all the other parents. Yes, it is an every Friday night organized event.

Me thinks you are the one protesting too much

oh, and my "group" that was imbibing included several physicians including a well known surgeon, several lawyers including a us attorney general, and a few others with incomes in the 7 figure range - certainly not "rednecks".

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

And by doing so you are missing out on teaching your children about drinking responsibly, which is a VERY important lesson to learn--you can have one or two drinks and be ok, you don't need to have 12.

I didn't say we never drink in front of DD! However, you do not need to drink in front of them - or drink at all - to teach them that. We talk about responsible drinking all the time - especially given my childhood!!!!

It especially isn't necessary to walk around ToTing with a beer, or have beers at a 9am Disney on Ice, or offer drinks at a child's birthday party attended by adults - in order to teach those lessons.

As I said - JMHO - especially given the upbringing DH and I had.

 

[DVCJones]

Just wanted to interrupt this discussion to inform you that it seems the Tag Fairy is in the house tonight.

...okay, back to the discussion.

 

[luvmy3]

Been there, done that and it does work! However, I wouldn't try to convince the officer that you did not intend to do 80 in a 55

I don't think my minivan can do 80

I know it doesn't seem like it but I do agree that parents shouldn't be breaking the law in front of their kids. However I'd be a hypocrit if I said I never did, I speed, I occasionally use my cell behind the wheel. I also don't get uptight about those kinds of laws because my child seeing me with an open container, or doing those other things isn't going to doom them to a life of crime.

 

[gina2000]

I've never even thought of having a drink while ToTing. Never ever noticed anyone else doing it.

All those hours wasted.....who knew?


I have to say, though, despite it sounding very tempting, I'd probably never do it. Walking the strees imbibing is illegal. My kind of luck I'd be arrested, breathalyzed, and arrested for ToTing while impaired.....

 

[golfgal]

I don't think my minivan can do 80

I know it doesn't seem like it but I do agree that parents shouldn't be breaking the law in front of their kids. However I'd be a hypocrit if I said I never did, I speed, I occasionally use my cell behind the wheel. I also don't get uptight about those kinds of laws because my child seeing me with an open container, or doing those other things isn't going to doom them to a life of crime.

I love your new tag.

 

[DVCJones]

I don't think my minivan can do 80

I know it doesn't seem like it but I do agree that parents shouldn't be breaking the law in front of their kids. However I'd be a hypocrit if I said I never did, I speed, I occasionally use my cell behind the wheel. I also don't get uptight about those kinds of laws because my child seeing me with an open container, or doing those other things isn't going to doom them to a life of crime.

Mine does.

Just kidding!!!!

 

[Mickey's Minion]

But, the "intent" is what makes the difference.

Having the speed limit change on from 40 mph to 30 before you notice is different than intentionally choosing to drink when it is illegal to do so.

No, breaking the law is breaking the law.

You can't pick and choose the laws you can break, making excuses for the ones you break and being judgemental on others.

 

[luvmy3]

Thank you almighty Tag Fairy...... I think

 

[okeydokey]

We live in a great trick or treating neighborhood and my friends bring their kids here to go door to door with the Dads and the moms pull up chairs on the lawn, drink wine, pass out candy and ooh and aah over all the costumes. It's one of my favorite nights of the year.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

My kids are so oblivious, they don't even know what an open container law is...must be because they're not gifted like 98% of the other kids.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

"I'm sorry officer, it wasn't my intent to go 10 MPH over the limit"
Let me know how that works, I may need to use it some day

Didn't work for me a few months ago. I was following traffic and actually trying to slow down when the speed limit went from 65 to 35 abruptly. I was down to 45, but my "intent" was to get down to the 35 asap.

Nope, got the 10 miles over the speed limit ticket. Cop couldn't have cared less that my "intent" was to slow down to 35.

 

[Missy1961]

I've never seen that, but that's probably because it's usually chilly here on Halloween. But maybe parents have Baileys in the coffee or hot chocolate! I have no problem with it, as long as the parents aren't driving. And we have sidewalks here, so that's where the kids & parents are walking. I don't know if we have "open container" laws here, that's never been an issue for me. (I either drink at home or at restaurants, and I've never walked around my neighborhood with an alcoholic beverage)

And I've got to agree with the posters who are saying it's really not a terrible thing for kids to see their parents drinking reponsibility. My parents would drink in front of us kids. I've never seen my father drunk. Never. He also would never drink if he was driving. I did see my mom drunk once and I also remember her saying it was the wrong thing to do. I'm 48 years old, I like certain alcoholic drinks, and I've never been drunk. I've been tipsy, but that's as far as it goes.

 

[DVCJones]

Didn't work for me a few months ago. I was following traffic and actually trying to slow down when the speed limit went from 65 to 35 abruptly. I was down to 45, but my "intent" was to get down to the 35 asap.

Nope, got the 10 miles over the speed limit ticket.

Bummer!