Comments on: Why Doesn’t Daddy Drink?

By: mashed potatoes for babies

mashed potatoes for babies — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:07:04 +0000

mashed potatoes for babies…

How do you come up with so much material to blog with?…

By: susan

susan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:03:18 +0000

I’ve only just found your blog today, forgive my just jumping in, but I thought this post was really interesting. Kids never appreciate adults who give them the run around and they always seem to figure it out, whether they let you know it or not. I think your logic is right on target. As soon as they can understand it (which as Tim said, pretty early) I’d work it right into conversation. After that, you can get on to the details as they mature, or ask.

By: Tim Who?

Tim Who? — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:31:09 +0000

I think honesty is important and I believe children can handle a lot more then we give them credit for.

One of the reasons I am the go to guy for my nieces and nephews is because they can talk to me about anything.

Even when they don’t like the answer they know I’m telling the truth.

By: Lorin

Lorin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:15:41 +0000

My boy is autistic, so it can be hard to know what he comprehends. But I have a guy in AA living with us to support my taking care of my boy, and I sometimes drop by meetings before and after when I’m out with him. So he is certainly aware, on some level, of the AA fellowship. He also knows that on Thursday nights, and sometimes Tuesday nights, I leave to go out, and come back late.
Do I have any hesitation, at the point when I know that he comprehends, in telling him about why I don’t drink? None at all. After all, in my family, I am, at least 5th generation alcoholic. And when I look at how my son slams down a glass of water, or how he spins endlessly until he collapses, or how he never leaves a morsel of anything he really likes to eat, and immediately looks for more, I know I have a moral obligation to tell him. Just so he knows what to look out for.

By: Lucas

Lucas — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:55:33 +0000

I think most parents run into trap of being overly protective of their children — not that I’m referring to this particular instance, but rather, people in general. Everything in life (as in consumption of alcohol) needs a balance. Kids need to know how to balance between having fun and the boundaries of being reckless.

It’s similar to sex-ed in the U.S. — many schools teach abstinence only — and as a result, they never learned to have fun, but take precautions and being responsible. That is why we see a rise in teen pregnancy and STDs — because invariably, teens will experiment and do what they are not supposed to — and because of the stupid abstinence-only policy, they never learned how to take precautions and be responsible. Same thing applies to alcohol, partying and such. While the “I don’t like it” answer is o.k. when kids are young — since they don’t yet have a concept of what alcohol can do, and really has no access to alcohol, yet.

However, I think it’s important for them to see parents enjoy a glass of wine or beer, and to show them how to be responsible, and how to behave around such circumstances. Dirty laundry or skeletons in the closet should be aired or brought out into the open to bring reality back about consequences of losing control and being irresponsible.