Kid Drinks Beer at Baseball Game

[scarlett09]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0...?ref=fb&src=sp

I don't really think this is a big deal for a number of reasons:

1. The bottle could have been empty and the kid was copying the behavior of the adult he saw drinking it.
2. The bottle could have been filled with water from the water fountain. It's $3 for a regular sized bottle of Dasani at CBP.
3. He probably got away with it because the grandparents weren't looking at him. I'm sure they probably don't condone this type of behavior.

While I don't think we should offer children alcohol all the time, is there really anything wrong with letting a curious kid have a sip? I remember having a sip of Budweiser, offered to me by my grandfather, around the age of 8 and promptly chasing it with some Juicy Juice. It tasted terrible! But it kept me away from beer for a long time. I think most kids won't like the taste of the stuff if they are used to other non-alcoholic beverages. The sip just satiates their curiousity.

Thoughts? Would you offer your kid a sip if they asked? Or would you not allow it?

[madeintaiwan]

1. The bottle could have been empty and the kid was copying the behavior of the adult he saw drinking it.

I do a lot things that my kids shouldn't do and they would get in trouble for doing them. I'm an adult, they're children. Maybe I should lead by example. But like I said, I'm adult. I pay the bills, give out the yes's and no's, hold all the responsibility [by law] for a reason.

2. The bottle could have been filled with water from the water fountain. It's $3 for a regular sized bottle of Dasani at CBP.

Really, fill an empty bottle of beer with water? That's just tacky and inappropriate and disgusting. $3 bottles of water a just an expected cost of going to a ball game along with the $9 hot dogs.

3. He probably got away with it because the grandparents weren't looking at him. I'm sure they probably don't condone this type of behavior.

I don't know them nor did I get to see a reaction from them in order to make a comment either way. Maybe they do condone this type of behavior? Trust me, I have read case file, after case file on kids whose parents and grandparents definitely promote this kind of behavior even in young children.

Thoughts? Would you offer your kid a sip if they asked? Or would you not allow it?

I have offered [ONCE] my children a sip of wine, in private, in a home. I have also discussed alcohol and drug abuse with my children as well as the altering effects both can have on a person's ability to make smart sound decisions and reaction time. We have also discussed our desires for them not to smoke and not to drink. But have also discussed that when they are allowed to drink by law, drinking alcohol is a responsibility. And we hope that they will drink responsibly.

If my child asked me for a sip, I would say no. Call me a hypocrite, but I think there's a BIG difference between offering something in the privacy of my home and following it with a discussion [and never offering it again] versus giving my child sips of alcohol whenever they ask because it's "no big deal." I have an issue with children feeling it's perfectly okay to ask for things that they know they have no business having and getting it whenever they ask. That's just me. I didn't ask for sips of alcohol as a child, I barely drank in HS or college, and I have never done a recreational drug in my life. I grew up around both alcohol and at times drugs. There was nothing curious about it to me and if I would have ever asked my mom [or any other family member] for a sip, I would have been lucky if all I got was a sideways look.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I really don't know how I feel about it (if it were full - which I agree with Cassy). My only thought is - are people upset because it's not legal for him to be drinking? I mean, the use of alcohol is viewed very differently in different cultures, so is the problem just that it's against the law???

[Ladybug]

It is illegal and they could lose their license to sell alcohol, so they have every right to say something to the child's guardians. I don't think anyone should be arrested, but I would totally understand the owners being cautious and saying, "Hey buddy, not on my property."

I've always said that wine/alcohol is a grown up drink and you can try it when you're a grown up. That seems to satisfy their curiousity at this point. They really aren't that curious unless you add whipped cream and strawberries on top of a daquiri or something fancy like that. I do always give them the umbrellas though.

[madeintaiwan]

I really don't know how I feel about it (if it were full - which I agree with Cassy). My only thought is - are people upset because it's not legal for him to be drinking? I mean, the use of alcohol is viewed very differently in different cultures, so is the problem just that it's against the law???

I get the whole different culture thing... but really? He looks like he's 3 or 4. Cultural differences or not. He's OUT in PUBLIC at a ball game, in America, where the legal drinking age is 21. Besides that fact, in America, it's child neglect/endangerment/abuse to give your child alcohol. Why is it abuse/neglect/endangerment? Because alcohol, whether we enjoy it or not has negative effects on our bodies. Adults can decide to take risks and abuse themselves. I'm all about, to each their own. Do it in your own home. Maybe I'm extreme. Personally, I don't want to see people kissing and groping each other in public and that's not even illegal.

[DCJenn]

While my parents were watching my aunt sing in a bar in Pittsburgh (named Bimbo's oddly enough), I went up and down the table and drained all of the beer dregs. I was four. I have no idea why- I'm sure I saw everyone else drinking beer and figured 'why not me?' Mom reported that I was most unpleasant the following day, too.

Anyway, absolutely sure the proprietor of the beer stand can say something to them. I'm 99% sure the bottle was empty based on the picture in which case they have nothing to be upset over. I'm sure my parents would have preferred someone tell them that I was behind them sucking down beer dregs.

Jenn

[Ladybug]

I still dislike the taste of beer. I can sip it if it's really hot outside, but I don't think I've finished a beer in my entire life. Wine on the other hand...

[HouseofWool]

I still dislike the taste of beer. I can sip it if it's really hot outside, but I don't think I've finished a beer in my entire life. Wine on the other hand...

Same here and I owe it to the taste of Pabst Blue Ribbon that my grandpa gave me when I was about 5. I've never liked it.

[SoonerTexan]

It just looks like the poor kid grabbed an empty bottle while grandma and grandpa weren't watching for a minute.

[Pollyanna]

Any chance that was just a root beer bottle?

If not, it is wrong on so many levels...

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I get the whole different culture thing... but really? He looks like he's 3 or 4. Cultural differences or not. He's OUT in PUBLIC at a ball game, in America, where the legal drinking age is 21. Besides that fact, in America, it's child neglect/endangerment/abuse to give your child alcohol. Why is it abuse/neglect/endangerment? Because alcohol, whether we enjoy it or not has negative effects on our bodies. Adults can decide to take risks and abuse themselves. I'm all about, to each their own. Do it in your own home. Maybe I'm extreme. Personally, I don't want to see people kissing and groping each other in public and that's not even illegal.

I totally get that - the negative effects part and the adult responsibility to do so - I just hope that that is the focus of the issue, not the legality of it alone (if that makes any sense!)

And I TOTALLY agree about the PDA...tacky!

There is a picture of me...at 2.5 yo with Miller Lite cans stacked on either side of me - as tall as I was at the time - from my parent's Super Bowl party. I know for a fact that I didn't drink/sip any of it, though!