Where do you keep your liquor?

[C.Ann]

Mine is in a cabinet which will soon be fitted with locks because of the liabilities we live with now. I trust my kids but they always have friends over and I have no reason to trust them, not to the extent that I am willing to bet my house anyway.

I know there is a chance my kids will break the rules but I hope and pray DH & my warnings are enough. Still, if not it's not worth dying over so I've had conversations with my kids about alcohol content in different types of drinks because SIL had 3 friends overdose on the stuff drinking vodka like it was beer out of giant SOLO cups when they were about 16 As I said I am totally against it but knowing the realities of the world I'm not willing to risk my kids lives over ignorance. Knowledge is better than any lock so we'll be doing both.

That sounds like a very reasonable and responsible plan.. Locks without the talk or vice versa is no longer sufficient these days - especially in terms of liability if other kids come into your home..

Of course "the up close and personal" death experiences my children saw in my family - their family - was enough to shape their attitudes towards alcohol consumption and responsibility - but I wouldn't wish for anyones children to have to experience that kind of trauma - ever..

 

[luvmy3]

jfoofj, you aren't the only one.I would invite friends over and after we raided the liquor cabinet we'd fill the bottles up with water, my father didn't really drink the liquor often so it was probably all water he was pouring down the drain when he got rid of it
My liquor and red wine is on teh top shelf of my pantry, not to keep it hidden, its there because its not used often enough to need to be lower. I keep my fridge stocked with beer, malt beverages and there is usually a bottle of white wine in there too. I don't plan on hiding alcohol from my kids, they know what it is, and they know its a drink for adults. When they are older, I don't plan on locking it up, unless they give me a reason to have to, I'm not going to start their teen years not trusting them.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

We don't have one because we don't drink. When i ahve been given it as gifts. it has been left out in the open till it finds a new home!

 

[MichelleVW]

Ours is in a cabinet in the dining room. I think locking your booze up just because you have teens is a little silly but that's just me.

 

[JoiseyMom]

The little we have had has always been in the kitchen cabinet. We have 2 adult DS's and a DD14 and DS9. I have some wine coolers in the fridge right and I have never had to lock up booze in my house. My kids knew right from wrong...we aren't big drinkers, and my DS's were responsible when they became drinkers. If you don't make it taboo or a big deal, it won't be. DD asked to taste my wine coolers this summer and I let her. She also tasted my drink at DS's wedding a few months ago, and tasted her brothers beer. Not a biggie.

Even when they had parties (we were in WDW ), there were never any issues.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Our liquor is in the cabinet over the stove. Not necessarily to hide it, it was the best place it fit.

The beer is in the drawer in the fridge.

We are going to teach our kids how to be responsible around alcohol. We don't need to hide it.

 

[DVCLiz]

I knew there would be a long list of DISers whose kids would never touch alcohol, would never sneak alcohol, would never have friends who snuck alcohol. And some of you are right - maybe even nine out of ten of you. But that tenth kid is watering down your vodka and replacing some of that bourbon with Coke. Yes, your sweet teen who is responsible and knows right form wrong.

It's naive to assume you can "teach" kids to be responsible around alcohol or assume that kids who know "right from wrong" won't occasionally make a poor choice.

For the record, my concern is with liquor that leaves the house. I'm not averse to my teen having a glass of wine on a holiday or a few sips of a beer or a mixed drink within the family unit. And I know my college-age kids will drink on campus, even if they aren't 21.

But kids sneaking alcohol out of the house and getting caught - that's my worst fear. I'm just not willing to let that ride on the "my kids would never" bandwagon. Too much at stake when the kid who drank that alcohol he got from my liquor cabinet ended up crashing into a tree later on - or worse.

 

[LisaR]

I knew there would be a long list of DISers whose kids would never touch alcohol, would never sneak alcohol, would never have friends who snuck alcohol. And some of you are right - maybe even nine out of ten of you. But that tenth kid is watering down your vodka and replacing some of that bourbon with Coke.

It's naive to assume you can "teach" kids to be responsible around alcohol or assume that kids who know "right from wrong" won't occasionally make a poor choice.

Maybe I missed a few responses along the way but I didn't see anyone say that they had perfect angels that wouldn't do anything wrong, ever.

There are a lot of things out there that can harm our kids. My DD has her learner's permit now. I have never been more afraid in my lifetime. Should I refuse to let her drive because teens are easily distracted behind the wheel? All I can do is teach her and hope she gets it. If I see any signs that say otherwise, I will pull her license faster than she can blink. If I suspect her or any friends are hitting our liquor supply, I will take action. However, I am not going to lock up the alcohol, cough medicine or Sudafed because I have teens in the house. I trust them until they give me reason not to.

 

[DVCLiz]

Maybe I missed a few responses along the way but I didn't see anyone say that they had perfect angels that wouldn't do anything wrong, ever.

There are a lot of things out there that can harm our kids. My DD has her learner's permit now. I have never been more afraid in my lifetime. Should I refuse to let her drive because teens are easily distracted behind the wheel? All I can do is teach her and hope she gets it. If I see any signs that say otherwise, I will pull her license faster than she can blink. If I suspect her or any friends are hitting our liquor supply, I will take action. However, I am not going to lock up the alcohol, cough medicine or Sudafed because I have teens in the house. I trust them until they give me reason not to.

I think there were only two or three posters who said they thought it was within the realm of possibility that their teens might occasionally lift a little booze - everyone else was pretty sure that would never happen, weren't they?

When it comes to teens and alcohol, I think the reason not to trust them is that THEY ARE TEENS. They make dumb decisions sometimes and it might be days or weeks before a parent happens to discover that something is missing or has been watered down.

I'm not willing to take that chance - other parents might be and if something happens they will have to face the consequences. I'd rather remove the temptation at the start.

Driving is a completely different issue. Kids are doing it at the appropriate LEGAL age and being trained and monitored. They aren't taking the car keys in the middle of the night and sneaking out on the highway without your knowledge. It's a completely different situation.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Ours is in a cabinet in the dining room. I think locking your booze up just because you have teens is a little silly but that's just me.

Well, since I am the OP, I can tell you that I spent many a Friday night drinking out of somebody's parents liquor when I was only 13. So that means not only was I drinking, but so were the teens I was with. I was probably drunk more often before I was 21, than after, and I'm almost 50 now. In fact, I know I was, because since I turned 21 I bet I haven't been drunk 10x.

Like somebody else mentioned, I would not only do it to stop my kids, but protect myself from lawsuits if something happened if someone else' kids were to get into my liquor.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Our liquor is in the cabinet over the stove. Not necessarily to hide it, it was the best place it fit.

The beer is in the drawer in the fridge.

We are going to teach our kids how to be responsible around alcohol. We don't need to hide it.

My parents THOUGHT they taught me.... and I pretended I had been taught, but I probably got drunk about 5 - 10 times a year as a teen.

 

[hambirg]

I don't drink liquor, or let's say I rarely drink it, so I don't keep it in the house. I do drink beer and I keep in in the fridge. I don't feel the need to lock it up. My DD15 is very open with me. She let me know that Oma let her have a beer when she was visiting them in Germany. I don't have a problem with that.

My parents had a well stocked liquor cabinet. We did get into on occasion. My parents were very open about drinking though too. They knew we were doing it as teens, but they were strict about the driving part. We were not to drive or to ride with anybody that was drinking. And yes, they would just let me spend the night or come and give me a ride.

I worry A LOT more about prescription medications these days. I normally keep mine on a shelf in the kitchen next to the vitamins. . .mostly because I would forget to take them if I didn't see them in plain sight. BUT I had some desirables. . .percocet, vicodin, xanax, etc. . .up there and my daughter had some friends I didn't know really well over. I moved them to a drawer in my bedroom. You just never know. I would know if they took my beer, but I don't take those meds very often and I don't count them. I may not have missed any if they decided to take some.

A PP already mentioned it and I think it's worth noting. There are a ton of other ways for kids to get high besides alcohol. . and apparently those things are on the rise. They can go to Home Depot or your garage and get a can of spray paint to huff. . .they can sniff glue. . .I think they even huff Pam.

 

[DVCLiz]

Our liquor is in the cabinet over the stove. Not necessarily to hide it, it was the best place it fit.

The beer is in the drawer in the fridge.

We are going to teach our kids how to be responsible around alcohol. We don't need to hide it.

My parents THOUGHT they taught me.... and I pretended I had been taught, but I probably got drunk about 5 - 10 times a year as a teen.

With all due respect, when my children were two and four I was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt they would be perfect angels and never cause me a minute's concnern about ANY issue that other kids and parents faced.

Let me just say that when T Man and Bug are 18 and 16 you might have entirely different circumstances, even though you will have taught them responsibility as we all did.

 

[LisaR]

I think there were only two or three posters who said they thought it was within the realm of possibility that their teens might occasionally lift a little booze - everyone else was pretty sure that would never happen, weren't they?

When it comes to teens and alcohol, I think the reason not to trust them is that THEY ARE TEENS. They make dumb decisions sometimes and it might be days or weeks before a parent happens to discover that something is missing or has been watered down.

I'm not willing to take that chance - other parents might be and if something happens they will have to face the consequences. I'd rather remove the temptation at the start.

Driving is a completely different issue. Kids are doing it at the appropriate LEGAL age and being trained and monitored. They aren't taking the car keys in the middle of the night and sneaking out on the highway without your knowledge. It's a completely different situation.

I guess I read those posts in a different light than you did. First off, many didn't comment at all that they thought their teens would or wouldn't touch the booze. Many simply stated where their alcohol was and left it at that. Again, I didn't see "everyone else" stating that it would "never happen."

I totally disagree that driving is on a different level. While it may be legal, once they have their full license and are able to drive without mom and dad, they can drive at excessive speeds, text, have a bunch of friends in the car, play with the radio, etc. I venture to guess that there is a much higher chance of MY teens doing one of these stupid things then drinking all of the booze in our house, refilling the bottles with water and having it go totally unnoticed. I guarantee you, I will notice if my drink is watered down. And, really? Kids aren't taking the car keys in the middle of the night and sneaking off? Some do.

Do you also lock up your cough syrup, any prescription medications in the house and spray paint? Where do you draw the line?

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I USED to keep it under the cabinet in the kitchen until my oldest DD got into it with some friends one night when I was away. Now, I no longer keep anything in my house. DH even keeps his beer in the trunk of his car until he needs it. Plus, DD learned a BIG lesson!

 

[DVCLiz]

I guess I read those posts in a different light than you did. First off, many didn't comment at all that they thought their teens would or wouldn't touch the booze. Many simply stated where their alcohol was and left it at that. Again, I didn't see "everyone else" stating that it would "never happen."

I totally disagree that driving is on a different level. While it may be legal, once they have their full license and are able to drive without mom and dad, they can drive at excessive speeds, text, have a bunch of friends in the car, play with the radio, etc. I venture to guess that there is a much higher chance of MY teens doing one of these stupid things then drinking all of the booze in our house, refilling the bottles with water and having it go totally unnoticed. I guarantee you, I will notice if my drink is watered down. And, really? Kids aren't taking the car keys in the middle of the night and sneaking off? Some do.

Do you also lock up your cough syrup, any prescription medications in the house and spray paint? Where do you draw the line?

It's fine to disagree. I suppose we could ask every poster to clarify but I read most of those posts as being from parents who felt reasonably certain they wouldn't have to face the issue. I beg to differ but there's really no way of knowing who will have kids who sneak booze and who won't. I will say that "my kids would never do that" is not enough for me to feel confident something will never happen.

I'm sure some kids are sneaking out to drive. I don't think the issues are the same, though. Yes, kids can and will do stupid things behind the wheel. That's not the point I made in my original post. My concern is not that something will or won't happen, but with MY LEGAL responsibility if it does. I'm willing to take the chance that I can help my daughter become a good driver without incident - I'm not willing to take the chance that she or some of her friends won't take something out of my liquor cabinet. So, I get rid of it while it's an issue of being underage.

I think there is a difference between what would happen to me if my teen drove at excessive speeds, texted, had a bunch of friends in the car, or played with the radio and what would happen to me if an underage kid took alcohol from my house and I'm not willing to take the chance by keeping it out and seeing how lucky I get.


As far as where I draw the line - alcohol and prescription medications. I don't have any concern about cough medicine or huffing, because it's not in the realm of what I think my teens and their friends have ever or would ever do. But alcohol IS in that realm, and so to some extent are prescription medications - at least I know it is out there in the larger peer group - and so that's where I draw the line.

 

[mamacatnv]

The "bar" is in the laundry room
all sorts of liquor and mixers
Beer/wine and coolers in the fridge. DH and I are not big drinkers, we have just accumulated a collection of goodies that we do like.

We never locked it up and never made alcohol a big deal or a mystery. DS was allowed to taste ours if he wanted from the time he was fairly young. Starting in mid teens he could have an occassional drink with us depending on the situation or what we were doing. About the time he turned 18 I used to keep a stash of Smirnoff coolers just for him - he had to ask, could never have more than 1-2 and they had to be consumed at home.
DS was here for trick or treating (he lives on campus at the local Univ) our tradition is cocoa and peppermint schnapps. He wanted some so I said "fine, but you are spending the night." he agreed, so he had a special cocoa and slept on the couch.

DS didn't start pinching the booze until he was in college and raiding the parents stash was far easier than trying to figure out how to get booze to say nothing of parents stash is far cheaper! He never tried to refill a bottle he just took the whole bottle! I got a bit ticked when I went to make a drink and my "good" gin was gone! We had a chat, now he informs me of what booze he pinched.

I will say with DS I never worried. DD is 12 and she and her friends are far sneakier than DS ever was. I find myself constantly evaluating my approach with her since I do not believe that just saying No is going to suffice like it did with her brother. Different kid, different approach.

 

[cm8]

I'm mostly thinking about you folks with kids.

Is it in plain site, in a closet, in a locked cabinet?

Right now mine is all on shelves in the garage, but I imagine that in about 4 -5 years, I'll be locking it up.

How about you?

I keep it safe in my tummy, Just kidding, we keep a bottle of wine chilled in the fridge and the rest of the stash is under the cabinet in the kitchen. It is filled with drinks I need to get rid of. Maybe I'll find someone that is having a party and gift it to them, Maybe my husband won't notice till he goes to get a drink

 

[indimom]

We have a bottle of wine in the garage fridge and Dh occasionally will bring home a six pack which we keep in the fridge.
When the kids hit their teen years we probably won't keep any in the house at all. Just have an occasional drink when we are out.
My parents kept a bottle or two (usually gifts they received) over the fridge. I never considered touching it. BUT, I did go out and get alcohol through friends as a teen and did get drunk on an occasion or two. Nearly killed myself on the way home from a friends high school graduation party where wine coolers and beer were provided.
My parents set a good example and taught me well regarding alcohol, I just disregarded their efforts because I was stupid and trying to fit in and nothing bad happens to teenagers...
If the kid wants it, they are probably going to get it somewhere. BUT it WON'T be from me or my house. I couldn't handle it if someone got hurt because of a bottle of alcohol they found in my house. If we had a cabinet where we could lock it up safely I would consider keeping the occasional bottle at home. But we don't, so we'll probably just skip it altogether.

 

[formill]

Ours is all locked up.