Alcoholic drinks are far from healthy, and should only be consumed in moderation. A few drinks here or there won’t have a massive negative impact on your health, provided the rest of your lifestyle is reasonably healthy. That’s why a lot of us enjoy a drink or two over the festive season, but should you be drinking alcohol around your kids?
Here are some things to consider.
Drinking Alcohol Around Your Kids
There are different and extreme opinions on this, but overall it is perfectly fine to have alcohol when you’re around young children. Just be sure you are careful about the following situations.
Never get drunk in front of your kids
If you ever go out and get drunk, try to make sure your kids are asleep before you return. It doesn’t set a good example if your children constantly see you drunk. Kids are extremely good at copying things their parents do. Avoid having your child spend too much time around drunk people because it will likely lead to them becoming heavy drinkers in the future. You don’t want your children to grow up with alcohol addictions, so avoid drinking too much when you’re around them.
Teach your kids about responsible drinking
It’s a good idea to teach your children about responsible drinking. The best time to start is just before they enter their teens. Teach them by demonstrating safe and responsible drinking practices yourself. This involves not getting drunk every time you have a drink, and showing them that you can still have a couple of drinks and enjoy yourself.
Your kids will grow up understanding more about alcohol and its consequences. Kids who are shielded from alcohol are often the ones that end up with the biggest problems in the future.
Be wary of the settings you take your children to
If you’re having a party at home, your kids are likely in a safe environment with lots of responsible adults. However, the problem arises when you go out with your kids and have a few drinks. In a restaurant, you don’t really have any issues, but, if you take them to a bar, there are a few concerns.
Kids under 12 might not be of a suitable age to be in a bar. Secondly, you have to feel comfortable in the bar setting – is it family-friendly? While you might drink responsibly, your kids could see all manner of characters enjoying themselves in a bar. This could include students that are getting heavily drunk, or even just casual alcoholics that spend the whole day in the bar.
In these instances, it’s not a good idea to have your kids around as it can lead to some mixed teachings on alcohol and responsible drinking. Instead, make sure you only expose your kids to alcoholic drinks in more controlled and comfortable settings that are child-friendly.
Don’t Shelter Your Children
It is definitely okay to drink around your kids, provided you never go overboard. Always be honest with your children about alcohol and do your best to teach them how to be responsible. Some parents think it’s wrong to ever drink in front of kids, but this can actually do more harm than good because children that live sheltered lives are often the most rebellious when they grow up.
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