Where do you keep your liquor?

[C.Ann]

Social host laws.. They vary from state to state, county to county, and sometimes town to town.. In some cases if parents leave their teens at home alone - knowing there's alcohol in the house (even if they have strictly forbidden them from touching it) - the parents can be charged if issues arise -or sued if injuries/death are the result of alcohol consumed in their home..

There one was specific case in one of the surrounding counties I'm familiar with where the parents were charged in that type of situation (can't remember all of the exact details), but when I tried to pull it up online it had been archived and the only way I could get it was to pay for it..

Trusting your own kids is one thing - trusting others (who often show up announced) is an entirely different matter..

Bottom line is everyone does what they're comfortable with - but just as a safety measure, you might want to check the social host laws in your own area..

 

[Lovely2CU]

Kitchen work top, fridge, garage and cabinet in lounge (not locked, but has a key)...my parents never locked alcohol up...its not a big deal here.

If a kid wants to try it, they will!!!

 

[ksjayhawks]

We have a wine bottle holder in the kitchen, beer/wine coolers in the fridge, other alcohol in the cupboards. Never have locked it up and never have had an issue.

 

[goofy!]

And again, I have not made it a "big taboo." But you cannot convince me that a teen who is allowed to drink in moderation at home is going to say, "Oh, now I see that alcohol in moderation is a fine thing so I'm not going to be participating in any teen social event with my peer group at which alcohol and getting drunk are in any way part of the occasion.

Actually, that has been my experience.

I am a first generation American from European parents. In the Netherlands and other parts of Europe, it seems that teens are much more trusted than they are by some parents here.

Wine is served at dinner and an occasional 'pils' is not considered taboo.

At least in my family of lots of Dutch cousins, because they were raised around alcohol and allowed to have it in moderation, it was never mysterious. In fact, alcohol was rather boring because it was allowed. And there really was never a need to get drunk at parties because they could just so to the local bar and get a beer if they really wanted to. Getting drunk is often because teens are forbidden, so they are going to get as much as they can in the short time they have it. If they can get it anytime they want and are taught responsibility, it just isn't the cool thing anymore because anybody can do it.

Yes, there are some teens that will abuse alcohol no matter what, just like some adults abuse alcohol, but they are the ones that will find alcohol or any other means to get high anywhere. Most teens that I know of that were taught responsible drinking are just that - either complete teetotalers because there is no mystery or are responsible drinkers.

I find it interesting that you are concerned about alcohol but not about cough syrup, etc as you don't "see it in the realm of possibility" for your kids. That really is the same thought process as parents that trust their kids with alcohol in the house.

FWIW - robo-tripping has been a bigger problem in some areas than teen drinking.

 

[goofy!]

What bugs me about these threads are the people that are convinced that every single teenager drinks. I honestly don't believe that my youngest drinks, and I know her best friend doesn't. I'm sure people will say, "yeah right...she drinks" But if the best friend drank, why would my DD talk to me about her friend being a little too "pure" and that friend said she wouldn't even attend a party in college or later where there was alcohol present.


There are teens that don't drink/smoke and have sex (had to throw that in there too because according to the media all teens are also having sex). I'm not saying my girls are perfect, but they aren't dipping into my tequila.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Kitchen work top, fridge, garage and cabinet in lounge (not locked, but has a key)...my parents never locked alcohol up...its not a big deal here.

If a kid wants to try it, they will!!!

No reason to make it easy on them, though.